Kcnj9 also harbors a QTL for a variety of alcohol-related behaviors, including: ethanol preference (Tarantino, McClearn, Rodriguez & Plomin 1998), ethanol aversion (Risinger & Cunningham 1998), acute sensitivity to ethanol (Tipps, Raybuck, Kozell, Lattal & Buck 2016), and hypersensitivity to ethanol withdrawal (Kozell, Walter, Milner, Wickman & Buck 2009). Mice lacking GIRK3 in the brain have elevated alcohol drinking, without affecting the sensitivity to ethanol intoxication (Tipps, Raybuck, Kozell, Lattal & Buck 2016). Collectively, these results could provide an example of convergent results from humans and mice; however, until this non-significant observation is replicated it should be viewed with caution.
