Division of Nephrology, Department of Psychiatry and Program in Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
Int Rev Neurobiol. 2010;91:25-51. doi: 10.1016/S0074-7742(10)91002-7.
Drosophila melanogaster is commonly found near rotting or fermenting fruit, reflected in its name pomace, or vinegar fly. In such environments, flies often encounter significant levels of ethanol. Three observations have made Drosophila a very promising model organism to understand the genetic contributions to the behavioral responses to alcohol. First, similar to higher vertebrates, flies show hyperactivation upon exposure to a low to medium dose of alcohol, while high doses can lead to sedation. In addition, when given a choice, flies will actually prefer alcohol-containing food over regular food. Second, the genes and biochemical pathways implicated in controlling these behavioral responses in flies are also participating in determining alcohol responses, and drinking behavior in mammals. Third, the fact that flies have been studied genetically for over one hundred years means that an exceptional repertoire of genetic tools are at our disposal. Here, we will review some of these tools and experimental approaches, survey the methods for, and measures after Drosophila ethanol exposure, and discuss the different molecular components and functional pathways involved in these behavioral responses to alcohol.
黑腹果蝇通常在腐烂或发酵的水果附近被发现，这反映在它的名字果皮或醋蝇中。在这样的环境中，果蝇经常会遇到相当高浓度的乙醇。三个观察结果使得果蝇成为一个非常有前途的模式生物，可以用来理解遗传因素对酒精行为反应的贡献。首先，与高等脊椎动物相似，果蝇在接触低至中等剂量的酒精时会表现出过度兴奋，而高剂量的酒精则会导致镇静。此外，当有选择时，果蝇实际上会更喜欢含有酒精的食物而不是普通食物。其次，参与控制这些行为反应的基因和生化途径在控制果蝇和哺乳动物的酒精反应和饮酒行为中也起着作用。第三，事实上，果蝇已经被遗传研究了一百多年，这意味着我们可以利用大量的遗传工具。在这里，我们将回顾其中的一些工具和实验方法，调查果蝇暴露于乙醇后的方法和措施，并讨论参与这些酒精行为反应的不同分子成分和功能途径。
