Gene makes flies more alcohol tolerant

RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have found a gene in fruit flies that can make the flies more tolerant to alcohol.

North Carolina State University researchers said their finding has implications for cirrhosis of the liver in humans since a similar human gene contributes to a switch from metabolizing alcohol to the formation of fat in heavy drinkers. That shift can lead to fatty liver syndrome -- a precursor to cirrhosis.

In the study the research team said it measured the time it takes for flies to stagger due to alcohol intake while simultaneously identifying changes in the expression of all their genes, determining which genes work together to help the flies adapt to alcohol exposure.

"Our findings point to metabolic pathways associated with proclivity for alcohol consumption that may ultimately be implicated in excessive drinking," Professor Robert Anholt, senior author of the study, said. "Translational studies like this one … can help us understand the balance between nature and nurture, why we behave the way we do, and -- for better or worse -- what makes us tick."

The study that included postdoctoral researcher Tatiana Morozova, Professor Trudy Mackay, Assistant Professor Eric Stone, graduate student Julien Ayroles and researchers from Boston University's School of Medicine appears in the journal Genetics.