Alcohol consumption - could it be in the genes?
13 Apr 2011 by Evoluted New Media
Genes often get blamed for excessive behaviour – we drink too much or eat too much because our genetic makeup dictates that we will – sounds like an excuse, but there may be some truth in it.
Genes often get blamed for excessive behaviour – we drink too much or eat too much because our genetic makeup dictates that we will – sounds like an excuse, but there may be some truth in it.
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How much alcohol we drink is dependent on which version of AUTS2 we have |
Researchers from Imperial College London and Kings College London have discovered a gene that appears to play a role in regulating how much alcohol people drink. People with a less active version are likely to drink more alcohol than those with a more active version.
“Of course there are a lot of factors that affect how much alcohol a person drinks, but we know from twin studies that genes play an important role,” said Professor Paul Elliot from Imperial. “The difference that this particular gene makes is only small, but by finding it we’ve opened up a new area of research into the biological mechanisms that control drinking.”
Researchers analysed DNA samples from over 26,000 volunteers searching for genes that appeared to affect alcohol consumption – and checked their findings in another 21,000 people – with volunteers reporting alcohol consumption via questionnaires.
They found two versions of AUTS2 – autism susceptibility candidate 2, so-call because it has previously been linked to ADHD and autism – one which is three times more common than the other. People with the less common version on average drink 5% less alcohol than people with the more common version.
Once AUTS2 was identified, the researchers examined how much messenger RNA – a copy of the gene’s code used to make protein – was present in samples of donated human brain tissue. They found people with the version of the gene associated with low alcohol consumption – the less common version – produced more messenger RNA, meaning the gene was more active.
Researchers also investigated strains of mice selectively bred according to how much alcohol they voluntarily drank, and found differences in AUTS2 activity levels between different breeds of mice that drank more or less alcohol. Blocking the effect of a related gene in fruit flies also made them less sensitive to alcohol.
“Since people drink alcohol for very different reasons, understanding the particular behaviour influenced by the gene indentified helps us better understand the biological basis of these reasons,” said Professor Gunter Schumann from Kings. “This is an important first step towards the development of individually targeted prevention and treatments for alcohol abuse and addiction.”
