Long‐lasting, experience‐dependent alcohol preference in Drosophila. (29th October 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Peru y Colón de Portugal, Raniero L.; Ojelade, Shamsideen A.; Penninti, Pranav S.; Dove, Rachel J.; Nye, Matthew J.; Acevedo, Summer F.; Lopez, Antonio; Rodan, Aylin R.; Rothenfluh, Adrian
• Is Part Of: Addiction biology. Volume 19:Number 3(2014:May)
• Page Start: 392
• Page End: 401
• Publication Date: 2013-10-29
• Subjects: Substance abuse -- Periodicals; Substance abuse -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Substance-Related Disorders -- periodicals; 616.86
• DOI: 10.1111/adb.12105
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1355-6215

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>To understand the molecular and neural mechanisms underlying alcohol addiction, many models ranging from vertebrates to invertebrates have been developed. In <italic>D</italic><italic>rosophila melanogaster</italic>, behavioral paradigms from assaying acute responses to alcohol and to behaviors more closely modeling addiction have emerged in recent years. However, both the CAFÉ assay, similar to a two‐bottle choice consumption assay, as well as conditioned odor preference, where ethanol is used as the reinforcer, are labor intensive and have low throughput. To address this limitation, we have established a novel ethanol consumption preference assay, called FRAPPÉ, which allows for fast, high throughput measurement of consumption in individual flies, using a fluorescence plate reader. We show that naïve flies do not prefer to consume ethanol, but various pre‐exposures, such as ethanol vapor or voluntary ethanol consumption, induce ethanol preference. This ethanol‐primed preference is long lasting and is not driven by calories contained in ethanol during the consumption choice. Our novel experience‐dependent model of ethanol preference in <italic>D</italic><italic>rosophila—</italic>a highly genetically tractable organism—therefore recapitulates salient features of human alcohol abuse and will facilitate the molecular understanding of the development of alcohol preference.</p> </abstract>