Entry
Name
Alcoholism - Homo sapiens (human)
Description
Alcoholism, also called dependence on alcohol (ethanol), is a chronic relapsing disorder that is progressive and has serious detrimental health outcomes. As one of the primary mediators of the rewarding effects of alcohol, dopaminergic ventral tegmental area (VTA) projections to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) have been identified. Acute exposure to alcohol stimulates dopamine release into the NAc, which activates D1 receptors, stimulating PKA signaling and subsequent CREB-mediated gene expression, whereas chronic alcohol exposure leads to an adaptive downregulation of this pathway, in particular of CREB function. The decreased CREB function in the NAc may promote the intake of drugs of abuse to achieve an increase in reward and thus may be involved in the regulation of positive affective states of addiction. PKA signaling also affects NMDA receptor activity and may play an important role in neuroadaptation in response to chronic alcohol exposure.
Class
Human Diseases; Substance dependence
BRITE hierarchy
Pathway map
Ortholog table
Disease
Drug
D02780 Acamprosate calcium (JAN/USAN)
D05145 Neramexane mesylate (USAN)
Other DBs
Organism
Homo sapiens (human) [GN:
hsa ]
Gene
6570 SLC18A1; solute carrier family 18 member A1 [KO:K08155 ]
6571 SLC18A2; solute carrier family 18 member A2 [KO:K08155 ]
6531 SLC6A3; solute carrier family 6 member 3 [KO:K05036 ]
2902 GRIN1; glutamate ionotropic receptor NMDA type subunit 1 [KO:K05208 ]
2903 GRIN2A; glutamate ionotropic receptor NMDA type subunit 2A [KO:K05209 ]
2904 GRIN2B; glutamate ionotropic receptor NMDA type subunit 2B [KO:K05210 ]
2905 GRIN2C; glutamate ionotropic receptor NMDA type subunit 2C [KO:K05211 ]
2906 GRIN2D; glutamate ionotropic receptor NMDA type subunit 2D [KO:K05212 ]
116443 GRIN3A; glutamate ionotropic receptor NMDA type subunit 3A [KO:K05213 ]
116444 GRIN3B; glutamate ionotropic receptor NMDA type subunit 3B [KO:K05214 ]
54145 H2BC12L; H2B clustered histone 12 like [KO:K11252 ]
8290 H3-4; H3.4 histone, cluster member [KO:K11253 ]
2770 GNAI1; G protein subunit alpha i1 [KO:K04630 ]
2773 GNAI3; G protein subunit alpha i3 [KO:K04630 ]
2771 GNAI2; G protein subunit alpha i2 [KO:K04630 ]
2775 GNAO1; G protein subunit alpha o1 [KO:K04534 ]
2790 GNG10; G protein subunit gamma 10 [KO:K04545 ]
2791 GNG11; G protein subunit gamma 11 [KO:K04546 ]
2792 GNGT1; G protein subunit gamma transducin 1 [KO:K04548 ]
2793 GNGT2; G protein subunit gamma transducin 2 [KO:K04549 ]
55315 SLC29A3; solute carrier family 29 member 3 [KO:K15014 ]
2030 SLC29A1; solute carrier family 29 member 1 (Augustine blood group) [KO:K15014 ]
3177 SLC29A2; solute carrier family 29 member 2 [KO:K15014 ]
135 ADORA2A; adenosine A2a receptor [KO:K04266 ]
136 ADORA2B; adenosine A2b receptor [KO:K04267 ]
1385 CREB1; cAMP responsive element binding protein 1 [KO:K05870 ]
1386 ATF2; activating transcription factor 2 [KO:K04450 ]
468 ATF4; activating transcription factor 4 [KO:K04374 ]
10488 CREB3; cAMP responsive element binding protein 3 [KO:K09048 ]
90993 CREB3L1; cAMP responsive element binding protein 3 like 1 [KO:K09048 ]
64764 CREB3L2; cAMP responsive element binding protein 3 like 2 [KO:K09048 ]
84699 CREB3L3; cAMP responsive element binding protein 3 like 3 [KO:K09048 ]
148327 CREB3L4; cAMP responsive element binding protein 3 like 4 [KO:K09048 ]
9586 CREB5; cAMP responsive element binding protein 5 [KO:K09047 ]
1388 ATF6B; activating transcription factor 6 beta [KO:K09049 ]
1392 CRH; corticotropin releasing hormone [KO:K05256 ]
627 BDNF; brain derived neurotrophic factor [KO:K04355 ]
2885 GRB2; growth factor receptor bound protein 2 [KO:K04364 ]
6654 SOS1; SOS Ras/Rac guanine nucleotide exchange factor 1 [KO:K03099 ]
6655 SOS2; SOS Ras/Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 2 [KO:K03099 ]
3265 HRAS; HRas proto-oncogene, GTPase [KO:K02833 ]
3845 KRAS; KRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase [KO:K07827 ]
4893 NRAS; NRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase [KO:K07828 ]
2354 FOSB; FosB proto-oncogene, AP-1 transcription factor subunit [KO:K09029 ]
84152 PPP1R1B; protein phosphatase 1 regulatory inhibitor subunit 1B [KO:K15494 ]
5569 PKIA; cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor alpha [KO:K15985 ]
Compound
C00355 3,4-Dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine
C01161 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetate
Reference
Authors
Spanagel R
Title
Alcoholism: a systems approach from molecular physiology to addictive behavior.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Newton PM, Messing RO
Title
Intracellular signaling pathways that regulate behavioral responses to ethanol.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Mailliard WS, Diamond I
Title
Recent advances in the neurobiology of alcoholism: the role of adenosine.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Ron D, Jurd R
Title
The "ups and downs" of signaling cascades in addiction.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Diana M, Brodie M, Muntoni A, Puddu MC, Pillolla G, Steffensen S, Spiga S, Little HJ
Title
Enduring effects of chronic ethanol in the CNS: basis for alcoholism.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Moonat S, Starkman BG, Sakharkar A, Pandey SC
Title
Neuroscience of alcoholism: molecular and cellular mechanisms.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Pandey SC
Title
The gene transcription factor cyclic AMP-responsive element binding protein: role in positive and negative affective states of alcohol addiction.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Zhang TA, Maldve RE, Morrisett RA
Title
Coincident signaling in mesolimbic structures underlying alcohol reinforcement.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Maldve RE, Zhang TA, Ferrani-Kile K, Schreiber SS, Lippmann MJ, Snyder GL, Fienberg AA, Leslie SW, Gonzales RA, Morrisett RA
Title
DARPP-32 and regulation of the ethanol sensitivity of NMDA receptors in the nucleus accumbens.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Lovinger DM
Title
NMDA receptors lose their inhibitions.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Hyman SE, Malenka RC, Nestler EJ
Title
Neural mechanisms of addiction: the role of reward-related learning and memory.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Berke JD, Hyman SE
Title
Addiction, dopamine, and the molecular mechanisms of memory.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Clapp P, Bhave SV, Hoffman PL
Title
How Adaptation of the Brain to Alcohol Leads to Dependence: A Pharmacological Perspective.
Journal
Alcohol Res Health 31:310-339 (2008)
Reference
Authors
Jeanes ZM, Buske TR, Morrisett RA
Title
In vivo chronic intermittent ethanol exposure reverses the polarity of synaptic plasticity in the nucleus accumbens shell.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Lee AM, Messing RO
Title
Protein kinases and addiction.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Repunte-Canonigo V, Lutjens R, van der Stap LD, Sanna PP
Title
Increased expression of protein kinase A inhibitor alpha (PKI-alpha) and decreased PKA-regulated genes in chronic intermittent alcohol exposure.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Logrip ML, Janak PH, Ron D
Title
Dynorphin is a downstream effector of striatal BDNF regulation of ethanol intake.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Shukla SD, Velazquez J, French SW, Lu SC, Ticku MK, Zakhari S
Title
Emerging role of epigenetics in the actions of alcohol.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Pascual M, Boix J, Felipo V, Guerri C
Title
Repeated alcohol administration during adolescence causes changes in the mesolimbic dopaminergic and glutamatergic systems and promotes alcohol intake in the adult rat.
Journal
Reference
Authors
Li J, Cheng Y, Bian W, Liu X, Zhang C, Ye JH
Title
Region-specific induction of FosB/DeltaFosB by voluntary alcohol intake: effects of naltrexone.
Journal
Related pathway
KO pathway