Amygdala protein kinase C epsilon controls alcohol consumption.

Alcoholism is a progressive disorder that involves the amygdala. Mice lacking protein kinase C epsilon (PKCℇ) show reduced ethanol consumption, sensitivity and reward. We therefore investigated whether PKCℇ signaling in the amygdala is involved in ethanol consumption. Local knockdown of PKCℇ in the amygdala reduced ethanol consumption and preference in a limited-access paradigm. Further, mice that are heterozygous for the PKCℇ allele consume less ethanol compared with wild-type mice in this paradigm. These mice have a >50% reduction in the abundance of PKCℇ in the amygdala compared with wild-type mice. We conclude that amygdala PKCℇ is important for ethanol consumption in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Genes, Brain & Behavior is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)