title: Molecular mechanisms underlying alcohol-drinking behaviours.
abstract: The main characteristic of alcohol use disorder is the consumption of large quantities of alcohol despite the negative consequences. The transition from the moderate use of alcohol to excessive, uncontrolled alcohol consumption results from neuroadaptations that cause aberrant motivational learning and memory processes. Here, we examine studies that have combined molecular and behavioural approaches in rodents to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that keep the social intake of alcohol in check, which we term 'stop pathways', and the neuroadaptations that underlie the transition from moderate to uncontrolled, excessive alcohol intake, which we term 'go pathways'. We also discuss post-transcriptional, genetic and epigenetic alterations that underlie both types of pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of California, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, California 941430-0663, USA.
authors.forename: Dorit
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ron
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Segev
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barak
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004327:Drinking Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol