title: A low concentration of ethanol impairs learning but not motor and sensory behavior in Drosophila larvae.
abstract: Drosophila melanogaster has proven to be a useful model system for the genetic analysis of ethanol-associated behaviors. However, past studies have focused on the response of the adult fly to large, and often sedating, doses of ethanol. The pharmacological effects of low and moderate quantities of ethanol have remained understudied. In this study, we tested the acute effects of low doses of ethanol (∼7 mM internal concentration) on Drosophila larvae. While ethanol did not affect locomotion or the response to an odorant, we observed that ethanol impaired associative olfactory learning when the heat shock unconditioned stimulus (US) intensity was low but not when the heat shock US intensity was high. We determined that the reduction in learning at low US intensity was not a result of ethanol anesthesia since ethanol-treated larvae responded to the heat shock in the same manner as untreated animals. Instead, low doses of ethanol likely impair the neuronal plasticity that underlies olfactory associative learning. This impairment in learning was reversible indicating that exposure to low doses of ethanol does not leave any long lasting behavioral or physiological effects.
authors.affiliation: Section of Neurobiology, Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Brooks G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Sukant
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khurana
authors.forename: Jascha B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Pohl
authors.forename: Wen-ke
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghezzi
authors.forename: Amanda M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cady
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Najjar
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hatch
authors.forename: Ruchita R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Amar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hariri
authors.forename: Kareem B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Haroun
authors.forename: Melvin C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fife
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hooten
authors.forename: Tuan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goan
authors.forename: Foram
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.forename: Farhan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Husain
authors.forename: Ryan M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Godinez
authors.forename: Jeffrey C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Corpuz
authors.forename: Jacxelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.forename: Allen C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: William Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Nigel S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Atkinson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D023421:Models, Animal; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012903:Smell / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol