# BLR&D Research Career Scientist Award > **NIH VA IK6** · OMAHA VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · — ## Abstract The goal of my current work is to examine how ethanol exposure results in impaired function of the Golgi apparatus. The Golgi apparatus (also called the Golgi body or Golgi complex) packages proteins into membrane bound vesicles inside the cell before the vesicles are sent to their destination. As such, this organelle resides at the intersection of the secretory, lysosomal, and endocytic pathways; it is known to be of particular importance in processing proteins for secretion. Previous work from our laboratory has identified multiple defects in endocytosis, protein trafficking, and secretion, after alcohol administration, but we have not until now, examined a role for altered Golgi function in these processes. Because the incidence of alcoholic liver disease is greater in the Veteran population and more than half of all medical admissions in VA Medical Centers across the country are linked to alcohol abuse, we are focusing efforts towards the identification of potential targets to intervene during the progressive injury which occurs after chronic alcohol administration, and perhaps the Golgi will prove to be such a target. Of central importance to our study is the role of a small GTPase, Rab3D, which is involved in exocytosis, secretion and vesicle trafficking. We have shown that Rab3D protein content was significantly decreased after alcohol administration, and recently we have obtained exciting new preliminary data that ethanol- impaired Rab3D function plays an important role in Golgi disorganization and fragmentation. The studies proposed in this application will extend our ongoing investigation of how ethanol alters hepatocyte biology, specifically in protein processing, to an examination of its role in transport through the Golgi. We provide a concept as to how alcohol-induced remodeling of Golgi morphology is a significant impairment of post-Golgi trafficking, and this leads to utilization of trans-Golgi membranes for the formation of autophagosomes. For this work, we present the following hypothesis: Ethanol exposure contributes to Golgi disorganization via its fragmentation and autophagy-mediated Golgi membrane lysis, leading to impaired endocytic and exocytic protein trafficking. Altered distribution and function of the small GTPase Rab3D plays a critical role in these alterations. To examine our hypothesis, we have proposed three specific aims; in Aim 1 we will characterize the distribution of Rab3D in vitro and in vivo in liver cells before and after EtOH administration. Studies proposed for Aim 2 will establish a role for Rab3D in the transport of physiologically relevant hepatic proteins. These studies will be followed by experiments proposed for Aim 3 where we will determine if EtOH- induced Golgi disorganization and fragmentation contribute to autophagosome formation and how altered Rab3D function affects hepatocyte autophagy. Altogether, successful completion of these aims will characterize the effect of EtOH on Golgi disorganizat... ## Key facts - **NIH application ID:** 9871720 - **Project number:** 1IK6BX004853-01 - **Recipient organization:** OMAHA VA MEDICAL CENTER - **Principal Investigator:** Carol A. Casey - **Activity code:** IK6 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.) - **Funding institute:** VA - **Fiscal year:** 2020 - **Award amount:** — - **Award type:** 1 - **Project period:** 2019-10-01 → 2024-09-30 ## Primary source NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9871720 ## Citation > US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9871720, BLR&D Research Career Scientist Award (1IK6BX004853-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9871720. Licensed CC0. --- *[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*