Project description:The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has estimated that approximately 14 million people in the United States suffer from alcoholism. Alcohol sensitivity, the development of tolerance to alcohol and susceptibility to addiction vary in the population. Whereas environmental factors, such as stress and social experience, contribute to individual variation in sensitivity to chronic alcohol consumption, genetic factors have also been implicated. However, genetic polymorphisms that predispose to alcoholism remain largely unknown due to extensive genetic and environmental variation in human populations. Drosophila, however, allows studies on genetically identical individuals in controlled environments. Although addiction to alcohol has not been demonstrated in Drosophila, flies show responses to alcohol exposure that resemble human intoxication, including hyperactivity, loss of postural control, sedation, and exposure-dependent development of tolerance. We assessed whole-genome transcriptional responses following alcohol exposure and demonstrate immediate down-regulation of olfactory sensitivity and, concomitant with development of tolerance, altered transcription of enzymes associated with fatty acid biosynthesis. Our results identify key enzymes in conserved metabolic pathways that may contribute to human alcohol sensitivity. Keywords: Drosophila, model system, alcohol sensitivity, tolerance
Project description:We sequenced mRNA extracted from heads of a D. melanogaster population that was sedated with a stream of ethanol saturated vapor, 30 minutes before RNA extraction; and from an age-matched untreated control group. Differential gene expression between the two groups was calculated and reported. Examination of mRNA levels in heads of D. melanogaster adult females after ethanol exposure was performed using next generation sequencing (NGS) technology.
Project description:Identification of the interaction partners of the protein ecdysoneless (Ecd) in Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells as well as profiling of the changes in binding for mutant, truncated Ecd del34 protein.
Project description:We sequenced microRNA from heads of two D. melanogaster populations: an ethanol treated group (30 minutes after sedation with ethanol saturated vapor), and an age-matched untreated control group; and calculated differential microRNA expression between the two groups.
Project description:We sequenced mRNA extracted from heads of a D. melanogaster population that was sedated with a stream of ethanol saturated vapor, 30 minutes before RNA extraction; and from an age-matched untreated control group. Differential gene expression between the two groups was calculated and reported.
