Fruit fly study reveals alcohol addiction ‘gene’

A study on “drunk” fruit flies has helped scientists to identify a “key” gene associated with alcohol consumption in humans.

The flies behave similarly to humans after consuming alcohol and also show similar addiction-like behaviour

The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involved studying the effect of alcohol on fruit fly behaviour – and researchers believe the findings may assist in developing new treatments for people with alcohol use disorders.

The flies behave similarly to humans after consuming alcohol, and also show similar addiction-like behaviour, so the team of researchers searched for genes linked to behaviour while intoxicated.

They discovered a gene – which is also present in humans – called Rsu1, which caused the flies to act “drunk” when it was working, and reduced their sensitivity to alcohol when it was not functioning correctly.

The researchers tested the gene amongst humans using a group of around 1,400 people who did not suffer from alcohol addiction using brain imaging.

The results showed that the Rsu1 gene was linked to the frequency of lifetime drinking and alcohol dependence – supporting the hypothesis that the Rsu1 gene impairs preferences for alcohol, and the subject’s behaviour whilst consuming it.

Professor Arun Bokde, of Trinity College Dublin, who assisted with the study, told the Irish Times: “The next step would be to look at the molecular function of this gene to understand what it is doing in the brain. It is a potential target to treat alcohol addiction.

“The gene is associated with a reward system. If you can change that reward anticipation you might be able to modify alcohol related behaviours.”