Gene Linked To Smoking Tendencies

People who carry a mutation of the gene known as Epac are more likely to start smoking and become addicted to nicotine, U.S. researchers have found.

The researchers, from Virginia Commonwealth University, studied 688 twins who carry the mutant Epac. “Although these findings are preliminary, it’s important that we have been able to point to variations in one gene that apparently make some people more susceptible to nicotine dependence than other people,” the researchers said. “The earlier that we can identify those at risk for smoking, the earlier we can intervene to prevent young people from developing the smoking habit.” Although previous studies have shown smoking is highly inheritable, researchers had been unable to identify one specific gene responsible for an increased tendency to smoke. The Epac gene — short for “exchange protein directly activated by cAMP” — increases its expression in a rat’s brain after the rat has been given nicotine. (Source: United Press International: MedLine Plus: March 2004)