Unraveling the Mechanisms of Behaviors Associated With AUDs Using Flies and Worms

Abstract

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are very common worldwide and negatively affect both individuals and societies. To understand how normal behavior turns into uncontrollable use of alcohol, several approaches have been utilized in the last decades. However, we still do not completely understand how AUDs evolve or how they are maintained in the brains of affected individuals. In addition, efficient and effective treatment is still in need of development. This review focuses on alternative approaches developed over the last 20 years using Drosophila melanogaster (Drosophila) and Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as genetic model systems to determine the mechanisms underlying the action of ethanol (EtOH) and behaviors associated with AUDs. All the results and insights of studies over the last 20 years cannot be comprehensively summarized. Thus, a few prominent examples are provided highlighting the principles of the genes and mechanisms that have been uncovered and are involved in the action of EtOH at the cellular level. In addition, examples are provided of the genes and mechanisms that regulate behaviors relevant to acquiring and maintaining excessive alcohol intake, such as decision making, reward and withdrawal, and/or relapse regulation. How the insight gained from the results of Drosophila and C. elegans models can be translated to higher organisms, such as rodents and/or humans, is discussed, as well as whether these insights have any relevance or impact on our understanding of the mechanisms underlying AUDs in humans. Finally, future directions are presented that might facilitate the identification of drugs to treat AUDs.

Discontinued alcohol consumption elicits withdrawal symptoms in honeybees

“…Our results further develop the honeybee in this context [1–17,26–28] and support previous studies showing that workers are predisposed to alcoholism [30,33]. Studies on the occurrence of alcohol dependence in other invertebrates initiated discoveries in terms of the mechanisms behind alcoholism [39]. Physiological bases of alcohol dependence in the honeybee thus deserve particular research attention, especially considering comparative aspects (e.g.…”

Modulation of the Drosophila Transcriptome by Developmental Exposure to Alcohol

“…The Drosophila model allows strict control over the genetic background, and we can rear large numbers of individuals of the same genotype under controlled environmental conditions without regulatory restrictions and at low cost. In addition, following acute exposure to alcohol, flies undergo physiological and behavioral changes that resemble human alcohol intoxication, including loss of postural control, sedation, and development of tolerance [11][12][13][14].…”

Developmental Alcohol Exposure in Drosophila: Effects on Adult Phenotypes and Gene Expression in the Brain

“…Drosophila melanogaster is an excellent model to study developmental effects of alcohol exposure, as we can control the genetic background and environmental conditions for large numbers of individuals without regulatory restrictions and at low cost. Importantly, flies exposed to alcohol experience loss of postural control, sedation, and development of tolerance (10)(11)(12)(13), resembling human alcohol intoxication. Previous studies on the effects of developmental alcohol exposure in Drosophila showed reduced viability and delayed development time (14,15), reduced adult body size (14) and disruption of neural development (16).…”