C. elegans unc-79 mutants exhibit altered responses to anesthetics and ethanol [4]–[6]. Since unc-79 mRNA is reduced in Lwt/+ mice, the response of Lightweight heterozygotes to ethanol and inhaled anesthetics was examined. A highly significant increase in the sensitivity to the acute sedative effects of ethanol in Lwt/+ mice relative to +/+ littermates was observed by the loss of righting reflex test [F1,58(genotype) = 64.0, P<0.001] (Figure 5A). The B6.D2.12D congenic strain was also tested for ethanol-induced loss of righting reflex (3.6 g/kg, i.p.). Importantly, no difference was observed between the Control/+ mice and their wild-type littermates (D.J.S. and D.C., data not shown).
