Is alcoholism GENETIC? Scientists who bred booze-dependent rats for decades discover 930 genes linked to compulsive drinking

August 5, 2016

Purdue University scientists bred alcohol-dependent rats for years
They compared their genomes to sober rats, found stark differences
Lead author said it shows no one pill will be able to cure alcoholism

Mia De Graaf For Dailymail.com

Published:
09:17 EST, 5 August 2016

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Updated:
09:17 EST, 5 August 2016

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Alcoholism may be genetic, a new study claims.

Scientists have discovered 930 genes that drive the brain to compulsively crave drinks.

They reached this conclusion after decades of breeding alcohol-dependent rats, who drank profusely.

Comparing the genomes of these rats to sober rats, the team at Purdue University found stark differences.

It suggests their bodies were biologically programmed to crave alcohol, according to lead author Dr William Muir.

Scientists have discovered 930 genes that drive the brain to compulsively crave drinks

‘This research highlights that alcoholism in rats has a strong genetic component and is influenced by many hundreds of genes, each with small effects,’ Dr Muir said.

‘There is no single gene responsible for alcoholism.

‘However, critical regulatory pathways involving several of the genes discovered were found, suggesting that potential pharmacological solutions may be possible.’

Alcoholism is a chronic disease.

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Sufferers physically and emotionally depend on alcohol, and cannot control drinking.

People with alcoholism drink from the moment they wake up, do not stop drinking despite health concerns, and often hide their drinking from others.

Though the research could open new doors for understanding alcoholism, Dr Muir cautions that his findings show the illness could be more complex than previously thought.

‘It’s not one gene, one problem. This trait is controlled by vast numbers of genes and networks,’ he said.

‘This probably dashes water on the idea of treating alcoholism with a single pill.’

Comparing the genomes of drunk rats to sober rats, Purdue University found stark differences

The study results were verified in another pair of lines selected from the same initial population.

They identified genes that had not previously been linked to alcoholism, including several that are involved with the formation of memories and reward behavior.

Many of these genetic differences were located in non-coding sequences, such as in promoters and introns, suggesting that differences in alcohol preference are primarily due to changes in regulatory regions of the genome.

This indicates that the disease is not due primarily to differences in what the genes make, but the amount they make.