In contrast, the gene-based analyses conducted with the European-American subsample identified a cluster of genes, of varied function, on the q-arm of chromosome 17 that appeared to contain an aggregation of variants associated with DSM-5 cannabis use disorders. The genes that surpassed gene-based correction were C17orf58, BPTF and PPM1D. PPM1D is in a region of chromosome 17 that is well documented to be amplified in breast cancer (Bernards, 2004), and the gene itself belongs to a family of serine/threonine phosphatases that are involved in stress signaling (Lowe et al., 2012). On the other hand, BPTF was originally identified in brain homogenates from deceased Alzheimer's patients (Jordan-Sciutto et al., 2000). It is putatively involved in chromatin remodeling (Landry et al., 2008). We hesitate to speculate about the potential role of these genes in the etiology of cannabis use disorders.
