CMTM8 encodes CKLF Like MARVEL Transmembrane Domain Containing 8, a chemokine-like factor gene involved in cytokine signaling (Fig. 1 and Table 3). Compulsive alcohol consumption is known to cause increases in the expression of neuroimmune signaling genes that alter cognitive processes and promote alcohol dependence (Blednov et al., 2005; Crews and Vetreno, 2016). Stress and chronic alcohol withdrawal selectively alters the brain expression of a number of neuroimmune-related genes, including chemokines and cytokines (Knapp et al., 2016). Thus, a feasible hypothesis is that polymorphism in CMTM8 alters neuroimmune-signaling associated with alcohol dependence and is related to heightened stress and negative emotional states during alcohol abstinence.
