Researchers said on Wednesday they had found a gene that seems to put people more at risk of alcoholism, but said they cannot yet explain how it works. The study of more than 260 families showed that several different changes in the gene, called GABRG3, were linked with the risk of becoming an alcoholic. The gene is a receptor, or molecular doorway, for gamma-amino butyric acid, a message-carrying chemical, or neurotransmitter.
