Clock genes involved in circadian rhythms have also been reported to relate to depression and AUDs, and to glutaminergic systems (Huang et al., 2010; Kovanen et al., 2010; Spanagel et al., 2005). Most salient to the current review are animal studies that have highlighted the impact of mutations in Per2 (human chromosome 2q37.3) and Per3 (human chromosome 1p36.23) on how the time of day relates to the intensity of alcohol reactions, including alcohol sensitivity and alcohol consumption (Perreau-Lenz et al., 2009; Wang et al., 2012). No specific human gene variations have been highlighted for these effects, but the existing data support the need for genetic studies regarding these and other clock genes in human alcohol responses (Edwards et al., submitted).
