Identifying Modulators of the Development of Acute Functional Tolerance to Ethanol in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Alcohol abuse is a problem in our society. There are few treatments available, in part due to the unclear molecular mechanisms of ethanol’s effects. Human studies indicate that there is a genetic component influencing disease susceptibility, and that an individual’s initial response to alcohol can predict their development of addiction. We have taken a forward genetics approach to study one component of initial response, acute functional tolerance (AFT), in Caenorhabditis elegans. We identified bet11, a mutation that causes animals to be defective in the development of AFT. Genetic analysis suggested that the gene that bet11 disrupts participates in a synthetic genetic interaction with an unlinked natural allelic variant in another gene that alters ethanol response. We also examined the role of lipid membrane composition in the response to ethanol. Identification of modulators that are responsible for alcohol-induced responses will provide a greater understanding of the mechanisms that cause alcohol-related diseases.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Pharmacology & Toxicology

Year dc:date.available

2011

Author dc:creator

• Leung, Ka-Po

Contributors dc:contributor

• Jill Bettinger

• Alcohol
• Acute Functional Tolerance
• Ethanol
• Caenorhabditis elegans
• Medical Pharmacology
• Medical Sciences
• Medicine and Health Sciences

Statement dc:rights

• © The Author

Identifier

https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/284

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-1283