A new study discovered a mutation in a mouse gene that could lead to new understanding of alcoholism and genetics. Researchers from the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center and the University of California, San Francisco, found that mice with the mutant gene were significantly more sensitive to alcohol than their normal littermates, and consumed more alcohol than normal mice when offered a choice between alcohol and water.
The gene mutation, called Lightweight by the researchers, is located in the mouse version of a gene called unc-70, which in humans has been previously linked to altered sensitivity to several anesthetics, including alcohol.
Lead author David J. Speca, PhD, a former Gallo Center researcher and lead author of the study, says the name “Lightweight” refers to the face that mice with the mutated gene were significantly more affected by alcohol than other mice.
Dr. Speca explained that the function of unc-79 isn’t well understood, but that other studies have suggested that it might interact with a neuron channel called NALCN to trigger a response to alcohol. He added that it’s difficult to identify the factors that make some people more susceptible to developing alcohol dependency because many different genes can contribute to addiction. He and his colleagues want to find out whether unc-79 and the NALCN channel are associated with different responses to alcohol in humans.
Dr. Speca noted that no one has studied the NALCN channel in humans before, and it could be a new genetic pathway that could lead to a better understanding of alcoholism.
Source: Science Daily, Mutant Mouse Reveals Potential Genetic Pathway for Alcoholism, August 13, 2010
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