Table 2

Orthologous candidate genes associated with human alcohol phenotypes, and their differential expression in three model organisms

Human

Fly

Mouse

Rat

Protein (gene symbol)

Phenotype and reference(s)

Gene function^a

Gene symbol

Phenotype and reference(s)

Gene symbol

Phenotype and reference(s)

Gene symbol

Phenotype and reference(s)

Adducin 1 (ADD1)

Alcohol dependence [40]

Membrane-cytoskeleton-associated protein that promotes the assembly of the spectrin-actin network

hts

Ethanol knockdown [94]

Add1

Alcohol consumption [96]

Add1

Alcohol consumption [97]

Adenylate cyclase 3 (ADCY3)

Alcohol dependence [25,31]

Mediates odorant detection via modulation of intracellular cAMP concentration

Ac3

Ethanol knockdown [98]

Adcy3

Alcohol consumption [96]

Adcy3

Alcohol consumption [66]

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family, member A1 (ALDH1A1)

Alcohol consumption [99]

Belongs to the aldehyde dehydrogenase family; binds free retinal and cellular retinol-binding protein-bound retinal

CG31075

Ethanol knockdown [60,93]

Aldh1a1

Alcohol consumption [100]

Aldh1a1

Alcohol consumption [97]

ATP-binding cassette, sub-family B, member 1 (ABCB1)

Alcohol dependence [25]

Member of the superfamily of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters; energy-dependent efflux pump responsible for decreased drug accumulation in multidrug-resistant cells

Mdr50

Ethanol knockdown [93]

Abcb1b

Alcohol consumption [96]

Abcb1a

Alcohol consumption [66]

Crystallin, alpha B (CRYAB)

Alcohol dependence [41]

Member of the small heat-shock protein family; may contribute to the transparency and refractive index of the lens; expressed widely in many tissues and organs

l(2)efl

Ethanol knockdown [60,93,94]

Cryab

Alcohol consumption [96,101]

Cryab

Alcohol consumption [67]

Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule like 1 (DSCAML1)

Alcohol dependence [25]

Cell adhesion molecule that plays a role in neuronal self-avoidance

CG42256

Ethanol knockdown [93]

Dscaml1

Alcohol consumption [96]

Dscam

Alcohol consumption [66]

Glutamate decarboxylase 1 (GAD1)

Alcohol consumption [65]

The protein is one of several forms of glutamic acid decarboxylase, identified as a major autoantigen in insulin-dependent diabetes; catalyzes the production of GABA

Gad1

Ethanol knockdown [93]

Gad1

Alcohol consumption [96,101]

Gad1

Alcohol consumption [66,97]

Protein disulfide isomerase family A, member 3 (PDIA3)

Alcohol dependence [40]

A protein of the endoplasmic reticulum that interacts with lectin chaperones calreticulin and calnexin to modulate folding of newly synthesized glycoproteins

ERp60

Ethanol knockdown [93]

Pdia3

Acute ethanol injections [102]

Pdia3

Alcohol consumption [97]

Protein kinase C, alpha (PRKCA)

Alcohol dependence [25,31]

The protein is a calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent, serine- and threonine-specific enzyme; plays a role in many different cellular processes

inaC

Ethanol knockdown [92,93]

Prkca

Alcohol consumption [96]

Prkca

Alcohol consumption [66]

Solute carrier family 2, member 14 (SLC2A14)

Alcohol dependence [25]

Member of the glucose transporter (GLUT) family that facilitates glucose transport

Glut1

Ethanol knockdown [93]

Slc2a3

Alcohol consumption [101]

Slc2a3

Alcohol consumption [66]

Tachykinin receptor 3 (TACR3)

Alcohol dependence [22]

Belongs to a family of proteins that function as receptors for tachykinins; associated with G proteins that activate a phosphatidylinositol-calcium second messenger system

Takr99D

Ethanol knockdown [93]

Tacr3

Alcohol consumption [96]

Tacr3

Alcohol consumption [66]

^aObtained from GeneCards^® [103].

GABA, gamma-aminobutyric acid.

Morozova et al. Genome Biology 2012 13:239   doi:10.1186/gb-2012-13-2-239