4B), indicating that knockdown of mini-w has a negligible effect. Internal ethanol concentrations were comparable in all control and w knockdown strains tested (Figure 4C). Additionally, the development of rapid tolerance was observed in all control and w knockdown groups (Figure S7). Although rapid tolerance was slightly lessened in elav-Gal4/v30034 w-knockdown flies compared to elav-Gal4/+ and v30034/+ controls, this decrease in rapid tolerance was not found in elav-Gal4;v30033 knockdown flies (Figure S7). We conclude that—in genetic backgrounds with essentially normal ethanol sensitivity—neither expression of mini-w from stably-integrated transposons nor knockdown of mini-w in the nervous system greatly alters ethanol sedation sensitivity, rapid tolerance to ethanol or ethanol uptake/metabolism in flies as measured in ethanol sedation assays.
