VCU-ARC Scientific Director
Lead, Center Project 2
Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology
Virginia Commonwealth University
E-mail: jill.bettinger@vcuhealth.org
Phone: 804-828-2072
Molecular mechanisms and neurobiology of alcohol-induced behavioral plasticity in C. elegans
SWI/SNF complexes modulate gene expression and the development of physical dependence to ethanol. Mathies LD, Blackwell GG, Davies AG, Bettinger JC. Alcohol Clin Exp Res (Hoboken). 2026 Jan;50(1):e70223.
Natural allelic variation modifies acute ethanol response phenotypes in wild strains of C. elegans. van Wijk MH, Davies AG, Sterken MG, Mathies LD, Quamme EC, Blackwell GG, Riksen JAG, Kammenga JE, Bettinger JC. Alcohol Clin Exp Res (Hoboken). 2023 Aug;47(8):1505-1517.
A neuropeptide signal confers ethanol state dependency during olfactory learning in Caenorhabditis elegans. Lindsay JH, Mathies LD, Davies AG, Bettinger JC. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Nov 16;119(46):e2210462119.
Genes regulating levels of ω-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are associated with alcohol use disorder and consumption, and broader externalizing behavior in humans. Aliev F, Barr PB, Davies AG, Dick DM, Bettinger JC. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2022 Sep;46(9):1657-1664.
Transcriptional analysis of the response of C. elegans to ethanol exposure. Sterken MG, van Wijk MH, Quamme EC, Riksen JAG, Carnell L, Mathies LD, Davies AG, Kammenga JE, Bettinger JC. Sci Rep. 2021 May 26;11(1):10993.
SWI/SNF complexes act through CBP-1 histone acetyltransferase to regulate acute functional tolerance to alcohol. Mathies LD, Lindsay JH, Handal AP, Blackwell GG, Davies AG, Bettinger JC. BMC Genomics. 2020 Sep 21;21(1):646.
Long-Chain ω-3 Levels Are Associated With Increased Alcohol Sensitivity in a Population-Based Sample of Adolescents. Edwards AC, Heron J, Hibbeln J, Schuckit MA, Webb BT, Hickman M, Davies AG, Bettinger JC. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2019 Dec;43(12):2620-2626.
Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acids Differentially Impact Acute Ethanol-Responsive Behaviors and Ethanol Consumption in DBA/2J Versus C57BL/6J Mice. Wolstenholme JT, Bowers MS, Pais AB, Pais AC, Poland RS, Poklis JL, Davies AG, Bettinger JC. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2018 Aug;42(8):1476-1485.
Variation in SWI/SNF Chromatin Remodeling Complex Proteins is Associated with Alcohol Dependence and Antisocial Behavior in Human Populations. Mathies LD, Aliev F; COGA Investigators; Davies AG, Dick DM, Bettinger JC.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2017 Dec;41(12):2033-2040
Slater CA, Jackson A, Muldoon PP, Dawson A, O'Brien M, Soll LG, Abdullah R, Carroll FI, Tapper AR, Miles MF, Banks ML, Bettinger JC, Damaj IM. Nicotine Enhances the Hypnotic and Hypothermic Effects of Alcohol in the Mouse. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2016 Jan; 40(1):62-72.
Grotewiel M, Bettinger JC. Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans as Discovery Platforms for Genes Involved in Human Alcohol Use Disorder. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2015 Aug; 39(8):1292-311.
Davies AG, Blackwell GG, Raabe RC, Bettinger JC. An Assay for Measuring the Effects of Ethanol on the Locomotion Speed of Caenorhabditis elegans. J Vis Exp. 2015 Apr 9 ;( 98). doi: 10.3791/52681.
Mathies LD, Blackwell GG, Austin MK, Edwards AC, Riley BP, Davies AG, Bettinger JC. SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling regulates alcohol response behaviors in Caenorhabditis elegans and is associated with alcohol dependence in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Mar 10; 112(10):3032-7.
Hawkins EG, Martin I, Kondo LM, Judy ME, Brings VE, Chan CL, Blackwell GG, Bettinger JC, Davies AG. A novel cholinergic action of alcohol and the development of tolerance to that effect in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics. 2015 Jan; 199(1):135-49. doi: 10.1534/genetics.114.171884. Epub 2014 Oct 23. PubMed PMID: 25342716; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4286678.
Bettinger JC, Davies AG. The role of the BK channel in ethanol response behaviors: evidence from model organism and human studies. Front Physiol. 2014 Sep 9; 5:346. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00346.
Raabe RC, Mathies LD, Davies AG, Bettinger JC. The omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid is required for normal alcohol response behaviors in C. elegans. PLoS One. 2014 Aug 27; 9(8):e105999.
Zhao Z, Guo AY, van den Oord EJ, Aliev F, Jia P, Edenberg HJ, Riley BP, Dick DM, Bettinger JC, Davies AG, Grotewiel MS, Schuckit MA, Agrawal A, Kramer J, Nurnberger JI Jr, Kendler KS, Webb BT, Miles MF. Multi-species data integration and gene ranking enrich significant results in an alcoholism genome-wide association study. BMC Genomics. 2012;13 Suppl 8:S16. doi: 10.1186/1471-2164-13-S8-S16. Epub 2012 Dec 17. PubMed PMID: 23282140; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3535715.
Bettinger JC, Leung K, Bolling MH, Goldsmith AD, Davies AG. Lipid environment modulates the development of acute tolerance to ethanol in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS One. 2012;7(5):e35192. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0035192. Epub 2012 May 4. PubMed PMID: 22574115; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3344825.
Alaimo JT, Davis SJ, Song SS, Burnette CR, Grotewiel M, Shelton KL, Pierce-Shimomura JT, Davies AG, Bettinger JC. Ethanol metabolism and osmolarity modify behavioral responses to ethanol in C. elegans. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2012 Nov;36(11):1840-50. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2012.01799.x. Epub 2012 Apr 6. PubMed PMID: 22486589; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3396773.
Bhandari P, Hill JS, Farris SP, Costin B, Martin I, Chan CL, Alaimo JT, Bettinger JC, Davies AG, Miles MF, Grotewiel M. Chloride intracellular channels modulate acute ethanol behaviors in Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans and mice. Genes Brain Behav. 2012 Jun;11(4):387-97. doi: 10.1111/j.1601-183X.2012.00765.x. Epub 2012 Jan 28. PubMed PMID: 22239914; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3527839.
Kapfhamer D, Bettinger JC, Davies AG, Eastman CL, Smail EA, Heberlein U, McIntire SL. Loss of RAB-3/A in Caenorhabditis elegans and the mouse affects behavioral response to ethanol. Genes Brain Behav. 2008 Aug;7(6):669-76. doi: 10.1111/j.1601-183X.2008.00404.x. Epub 2008 Apr 7. PubMed PMID: 18397381; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3526002.
Bettinger JC, McIntire SL. State-dependency in C. elegans. Genes Brain Behav. 2004 Oct;3(5):266-72. PubMed PMID: 15344920.
Davies AG, Bettinger JC, Thiele TR, Judy ME, McIntire SL. Natural variation in the npr-1 gene modifies ethanol responses of wild strains of C. elegans. Neuron. 2004 Jun 10;42(5):731-43. PubMed PMID: 15182714.
