mental health

SRR

Why Are Low Levels Of D-Serine Associated With PTSD? (SRR)

Written by John Williams, B.Sc on September 30th, 2020

The SRR gene makes a chemical that can affect how strong or weak the connections within your brain are. What relationship does this have to PTSD? Read on to find out.

Summary

SRR encodes serine racemase, a protein that turns L-serine into D-serine. Variants that produce less D-serine have less NMDA receptor activity, making it harder to change the neural connections in your brain and potentially leading to PTSD-like symptoms. Lifestyle, diet, and supplement modifications may counteract the effects of these variants by increasing D-serine levels, increasing L-serine levels or increasing NMDA receptor signaling.

SRR and PTSD

Serine can exist as L-serine or D-serine. The difference is the way the atoms are arranged in space, similar to the difference between your left hand and your right hand. The SRR gene encodes serine racemase, a protein that is used to turn L-serine into D-serine [R, R].

Glutamate is a chemical responsible for activating a number of pathways in the brain. Glutamate has to bind to NMDA receptors to do its job. NMDA receptors are responsible for long-term potentiation, where the connections in your brain become stronger as you activate them more and more. D-serine is required to help turn the NMDA receptor ‘on’ [R, R].

Fear extinction is when your fear of something decreases as you become exposed to it more and more. It is used in exposure therapy, one of the treatments for PTSD. One clinical trial found that D-cycloserine, a very similar molecule to D-serine, reduced fear in patients undergoing exposure therapy. Some variants of SRR that produce less D-serine are associated with increased PTSD symptoms [R, R].

Your SRR Results for PTSD

SNP Table

variant	genotype	frequency	risk allele
rs4523957

Primary SNP:

SRR rs4523957

‘T’ = associated with increased odds and severity of PTSD
‘G’ = not associated with PTSD

The 'TT' variant results in less D-serine being produced in the brain [R].

Recommendations

Lifestyle

Physical Exercise

Synaptic plasticity is the ability of the connections in your brain to become stronger or weaker over time. Variants that produce less D-serine will have less active NMDA receptors. Since NMDA receptors are the primary way in which synaptic plasticity occurs, it will be harder to 'rewire' the brain in order to improve PTSD symptoms [R].

One way to compensate for this is through physical exercise. Besides numerous other health benefits, exercise has been linked to increased synaptic plasticity. Exercise also increases levels of Neuropeptide Y, a molecule whose presence appears to be associated with reduced symptoms of PTSD [R, R].

Physical exercise may help with symptoms of PTSD by increasing synaptic plasticity.

Diet

Soy

Variants that produce less serine may be able to obtain the difference from their diet. Soy products such as tofu have high levels of L-serine, which can be converted to D-serine in the brain. Furthermore, a pilot study from Germany that provided fermented soy product to soldiers with PTSD saw the soldiers report an improvement in their symptoms [R, R].

Adding more soy to your diet may provide additional serine and help with PTSD.

Supplements

D-Serine

The product of the SRR gene, D-serine, is available as a supplement. A clinical trial where patients with PTSD were given D-serine supplements for 6 weeks saw them report improvements to both PTSD and anxiety symptoms [R].

Supplementing with D-serine may improve symptoms of PTSD.

John Williams

B.Sc

John received his BSc from the University of Toronto. John has spent the last several years teaching high school science and math to English-language learners, which has forced him to learn how to simplify difficult concepts as much as possible. He has also worked in two different research labs and has experience as a student intern working and studying under doctors in hospitals and clinics to help diagnose and treat patients, interpret lab results and fill out mountains of paperwork.

Disclaimer

The information on this website has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration or any other official medical body. This information is presented for educational purposes only, and may not be used to diagnose or treat any illness or disease.

Also keep in mind that the “Risk Score” presented in this post is based only on a select number of SNPs, and therefore only represents a small portion of your total risk as an individual. Furthermore, these analyses are based primarily on associational studies, which do not necessarily imply causation. Finally, many other (non-genetic) factors can also play a significant role in the development of a disease or health condition — therefore, carrying any of the risk-associated genotypes discussed in this post does not necessarily mean you are at increased risk of developing a major health condition.

Always consult your doctor before acting on any information or recommendations discussed in this post — especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have been officially diagnosed with a medical condition.

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Summary SRR and PTSD Your SRR Results for PTSD

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