JNK Signaling Positively Regulates Acute Ethanol Tolerance in C. elegans

Abstract

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic neurobehavioral condition characterized by a cycle of tolerance development, increased consumption, and reinstated craving and seeking behaviors during withdrawal. Understanding the intricate mechanisms of AUD necessitates reliable animal models reflecting its key features. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), with its conserved nervous system and genetic tractability, has emerged as a valuable model organism to study AUD. Here, we employ an ethanol vapor exposure model in Caenorhabditis elegans, recapitulating AUD features while maintaining high-throughput scalability. We demonstrate that ethanol vapor exposure induces intoxication-like behaviors, acute tolerance, and ethanol preference, akin to mammalian AUD traits. Leveraging this model, we elucidate the conserved role of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling in mediating acute ethanol tolerance. Mutants lacking JNK signaling components exhibit impaired tolerance development, highlighting JNK’s positive regulation. Furthermore, we detect ethanol-induced JNK activation in C. elegans. Our findings underscore the utility of C. elegans with ethanol vapor exposure for studying AUD and offer novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying acute ethanol tolerance through JNK signaling.