In conclusion, the conservation of ethanol and anesthesia phenotypes across species suggests that unc-79 and associated unc-80 and NALCN genes are part of a novel and relatively unexplored pathway that mediates the physiological effects of these agents. It is notable that we have observed a wide variety of phenotypes in heterozygotes. If variants of unc-79 and associated genes exist in the human population, it is possible that even heterozygotes may exhibit ethanol- and weight-related phenotypes.
