Identification of molecular markers for candidate sleep-promoting neurons in CeA using TRAP-seq

A crucial step in understanding the sleep-control mechanism is to identify sleep neurons. In principle, a neuron could promote sleep by inhibiting wake-promoting neurons. Using rabies virus (RV)-mediated transsynaptic tracing, we identified several brain regions with GABAergic neurons that broadly inhibit multiple wake-promoting neuronal populations, and the most prominent source of GABAergic inputs was found in a posterior part of the CeA. The CeA is known to contain multiple subtypes of GABAergic neurons with distinct molecular markers, projection targets, and functional properties. Using translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP) RNA-Seq, we identified molecular markers for the canditate sleep-promoting neurons in CeA. TRAP RNA-Seq profiling identifies transcripts enriched in CeA GABAergic neurons that project to wake-promoting brain regions (LC/PB).