Protocol for behavioral tests using chemogenetically manipulated mice.
Noriko Horii-Hayashi1, Mayumi Nishi1
1Anatomy and Cell Biology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara 634-8521, Japan.
STAR Protocols
|April 26, 2021
Summary
This study details protocols for using designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) in mice to study neural functions. These methods help evaluate anxiety and defensive behaviors, offering insights into neural mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Chemogenetics, particularly using designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs), offers precise control over neural activity.
- Understanding neural circuits underlying complex behaviors like anxiety and threat response is crucial in neuroscience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide detailed protocols for employing Gq-DREADDs in mice for behavioral analyses.
- To outline methods for assessing anxiety, risk assessment, and burying behaviors in genetically manipulated mice.
Main Methods:
- Stereotaxic surgery for precise viral vector delivery.
- Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated Gq-DREADD expression in specific mouse brain regions.
- Standardized behavioral testing paradigms to evaluate anxiety and defensive responses.
Main Results:
- The described protocols enable robust chemogenetic manipulation of neural circuits in mice.
- The behavioral tests effectively quantify anxiety-like and defensive behaviors in response to stimuli.
- This approach facilitates the elucidation of neural substrates controlling specific behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Detailed protocols for Gq-DREADD-mediated chemogenetics and subsequent behavioral analysis in mice are presented.
- These methods are valuable for investigating the neural basis of anxiety and defensive behaviors.
- The study provides a framework for future research into neural function and behavior.
