Here’s a neat study – two genes have been identified that statistically correlate with the amount of caffeine a person consumes. Using 40,000 genotyped participants who self-reported daily caffeine intake, two genes were identified as explanatory (known as CYP1A2 and ADH). This result was obtained by scanning the genome for loci (similar to a Quantitative Trait Loci study) that correlate with a given phenotype, here caffeine intake. The implication is that variation at these loci is associated with susceptibility to habitual caffeine consumption, but more studies will need to be performed to tease apart the actual mechanism of this relationship.
The study was published in PLoS Genetics, and here’s the full PDF.
Filed under: Science Tagged: | ADH, Caffeine, Coffee, CYP1A2, Genes, Genome, Loci, PLoS Genetics, ScienceDaily
