Genetic evidence of widespread variation in ethanol metabolism among mammals: revisiting the 'myth' of natural intoxication.

ABSTRACT: Humans have a long evolutionary relationship with ethanol, pre-dating anthropogenic sources, and possess unusually efficient ethanol metabolism, through a mutation that evolved in our last common ancestor with African great apes. Increased exposure to dietary ethanol through fermenting fruits and nectars is hypothesized to have selected for this in our lineage. Yet, other mammals have frugivorous and nectarivorous diets, raising the possibility of natural ethanol exposure and adaptation in other taxa. We conduct a comparative genetic analysis of alcohol dehydrogenase class IV (ADH IV) across mammals to provide insight into their evolutionary history with ethanol. We find genetic variation and multiple pseudogenization events in ADH IV, indicating the ability to metabolize ethanol is variab

SUBMITTER: Janiak MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7211468 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature