The University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute researchers used worms to find that previously dismissed genetic mechanism can contribute to nicotine dependence, as well as withdrawal when quitting smoking.
Scientists in Shawn Xu's Lab examined withdrawal responses in millimeter-long roundworms, or Caenorhabditis elegans.
The researchers identified genes and microRNA that play a role in how worms develop nicotine dependence and withdrawal.
The biological mechanism was previously dismissed, according to the study, and most research has focused on how nicotine acetylcholine receptors contribute to dependence.
While focusing on an earlier step in the genetic coding process, researchers discovered that a series of genes were involved in a process that increased the production of nicotine receptor proteins, with microRNAs - a class of small RNA molecules that help fine-tune gene expression - play a role.
Xu's lab has also demonstrated that the worms exhibit behavioral responses to nicotine similar to those of mammals.
"We are seeing a clear link between nicotine, microRNA, protein receptor and nicotine-dependent behavior," said Jianke Gong, a researcher in Xu's lab and one of the lead authors on the study.
According to the study, the mechanism was dismissed as unimportant in relation to nicotine addiction, but Xu said that dismissal came decades ago with less sophisticated techniques.
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