Gene expression induced by DREADD activation in cultured astrocytes

Astrocytes are essential regulators of neuronal function and brain homeostasis. While chemogenetic strategies, such as DREADD (Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs), are frequently employed to specifically modulate astrocyte activity, the molecular mechanisms accompanying their activation remain incompletely understood. Here, we characterized the transcriptional responses of cultured cortical astrocytes to DREADD stimulation. These findings provide a molecular framework for interpreting astrocytic DREADD manipulations. Overall design: RNA-seq profiling was performed on cultured cortical astrocytes expressing hM4Di, hM3Dq, or rM3Ds following DCZ stimulation for 90 min. For astrocytes expressing hM3Dq, an additional RNA-seq analysis was conducted three days after stimulation, following replacement with the ligand-free medium at 90min post-stimulation.