Background
Long-lasting transcriptional changes underlie a number of adaptations that contribute to alcohol use disorders (AUD). Chromatin remodeling, including histone methylation, can confer distinct, long-lasting transcriptional changes, and histone methylases are known to play a role in the development of addiction. Conversely, little is known about the relevance of Jumonji (JmjC) domain-containing demethylases in AUDs. We systematically surveyed the alcohol-induced phenotypes of null mutations in all 13 Drosophila JmjC genes.
Methods
We used a collection of JmjC mutants, the majority of which we generated by homologous recombination, and assayed them in the Booze-o-mat to determine their naïve sensitivity to sedation and their tolerance (change in sensitivity upon repeat exposure). Mutants with reproducible phenotypes had their phenotypes rescued with tagged genomic transgenes, and/or phenocopied by nervous system-specific knock down using RNA interference (RNAi).
Results
Four of the 13 JmjC genes (KDM3, lid, NO66 and HSPBAP1) showed reproducible ethanol-sensitivity phenotypes. Some of the phenotypes were observed across doses, e.g. the enhanced ethanol-sensitivity of KDM3KO and NO66KO, but others were dose-dependent, such as the reduced ethanol sensitivity of HSPBAP1KO, or the enhanced ethanol tolerance of NO66KO. These phenotypes were rescued by their respective genomic transgenes in KDM3KO and NO66KO mutants. While we were unable to rescue lidk mutants, knock down of lid in the nervous system recapitulated the lidk phenotype, as was observed for KDM3KO and NO66KO RNAi-mediated knock down.
Conclusion
Our study reveals that the Drosophila JmjC-domain histone demethylases Lid, KDM3, NO66, and HSPBAP1 are required for normal ethanol-induced sedation and tolerance. Three of three tested of those four JmjC genes are required in the nervous system for normal alcohol-induced behavioral responses, suggesting that this gene family is an intriguing avenue for future research.