The work presented here demonstrates that the Drosophila Lmo gene, dLmo, and its mouse homolog Lmo3 regulate behavioral responses to alcohol. We found that responses in the fly broadly paralleled to those in the mouse. Reduced dLmo expression (observed in the EP1306 mutant) caused increased sensitivity to the sedating effect of ethanol. Similarly, in the mouse, reduced Lmo3 expression correlated with increased sedation time in the LORR assay. In addition to its effect on ethanol sedation, reducing Lmo3 levels correlated with decreased ethanol consumption, suggesting that Lmo3 may play a role in alcohol preference in mammals.
