2.7 Designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs)
We utilized DREADDs as a chemogenetic tool to activate BLA astrocytes. DREADDs receptors are engineered muscarinic receptors that are no longer sensitive to any native ligands, such as acetylcholine, but can be activated by the inert small molecule ligand clozapine-N-oxide (CNO). CNO was purchased from LKT Laboratories, Co., Ltd. (C4759; St. Paul MN, USA). AAV was purchased from Shanghai Taitool Bioscience Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China). In this study, AAV-gfaABC1D-hM4Di(Gi)-EGFP-WPRE-pA (gfaABC1D-M4-EGFP) was used to specifically inhibit BLA astrocytic activity, and AAV-gfaABC1D-hM3Dq(Gq)-EGFP-WPRE-pA (gfaABC1D-M3-EGFP) was used to specifically activate BLA astrocytes.