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To examine the gene expression changes associated with physical dependence on ethanol in C. elegans.

January 14, 2026Open Access

SWI / SNF complexes modulate gene expression and the development of physical dependence to ethanol

Key Points

To examine the gene expression changes associated with physical dependence on ethanol in C. elegans.
Ethanol was administered to C. elegans for 18 hours to induce physical dependence.
Behavioral changes related to withdrawal were measured, focusing on withdrawal-induced bordering (WIB).
Transcriptional analysis was performed to identify genes with differential expression related to WIB.
WIB resolves within 6 hours after ethanol removal, indicating short-term gene expression changes drive it.
1,870 genes showed differential expression immediately after ethanol exposure; these are potential mediators of WIB.
Loss of swsn-9 attenuates WIB, showing both swsn-9 dependent and independent factors influence withdrawal behavior.

Abstract

Abstract Background Long exposure to ethanol causes the development of physical dependence, which causes withdrawal symptoms when ethanol is removed. We exploited the rapid development of physical dependence in Caenorhabditis elegans ( C. elegans ) to examine the ethanol‐induced transcriptional changes that correspond with physical dependence and withdrawal effects. Methods After an 18‐h exposure to an intoxicating concentration of ethanol, we observe the development of physical dependence; withdrawal from ethanol causes an increase in their preference for thicker parts of a bacterial lawn, a behavior we term withdrawal‐induced bordering (WIB). We performed transcriptional analysis to identify genes whose expression changes correlate with WIB. Results We found that WIB is transient, resolving within 6 h of removal from ethanol, suggesting it is driven by short‐term gene expression changes. We identified 1870 genes with differential expression immediately after ethanol exposure but not after 6 h of withdrawal; these are candidate mediators of WIB. We found that the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, known to be important in the response to acute ethanol exposure, is required for normal WIB. Loss of swsn‐9 attenuated but did not eliminate WIB, suggesting that there are swsn‐9 ‐dependent and swsn‐9 ‐independent components of WIB. Regulation of 1031 ethanol‐responsive genes requires swsn‐9 . WIB phenocopies reduced npr‐1 activity, and two genes implicated in the npr‐1 signaling pathway, jmjc‐1 and dod‐24 , were transiently regulated after extended ethanol exposure. dod‐24 mutants have attenuated WIB. Conclusions Extended exposure to ethanol causes the development of transient physical dependence in C. elegans , and the SWI/SNF complex is involved in this process. Genes involved in fatty acid metabolism were regulated over the WIB timecourse, and dod‐24 , which is involved in temperature sensitivity, is required for normal WIB. Together, these results suggest a model in which modulation of lipid membrane composition may be one mechanism for the development of physical dependence on ethanol.

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