Several SNPs in known genes showed suggestive association with measures of neuroticism, extraversion, symptoms of anxiety, depression, and general psychological distress. One of these (rs7582472) was associated with symptoms of depression in two independent cohorts. One of the top SNPs (and a gene, POLR3A, from the gene-based test) for neuroticism showed pleiotropic effects for symptoms of depression, whereas for extraversion no such effects were observed. Genetic profile scores for extraversion predicted mood state phenotypes in the expected direction in one of the replication cohorts, indicating genetic overlap between the traits. A gene-based test identified six genes associated with neuroticism; five were located in a region of high LD on chromosome 15 and replicated in an independent cohort.
