Cited by 1,742Photoreceptor and optogenetics researchNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

DREADDs for neuroscientists

Open access
Roth, Bryan L.·2016·Neuron

Abstract

To understand brain function, it is essential that we discover how cellular signaling specifies normal and pathological brain function. In this regard, chemogenetic technologies represent valuable platforms for manipulating neuronal and non-neuronal signal transduction in a cell-type-specific fashion in freely moving animals. Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD)-based chemogenetic tools are now commonly used by neuroscientists to identify the circuitry and cellular signals that specify behavior, perceptions, emotions, innate drives, and motor functions in species ranging from flies to nonhuman primates. Here I provide a primer on DREADDs highlighting key technical and conceptual considerations and identify challenges for chemogenetics going forward.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.01.040

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  • Expression of DREADDs in astrocytes allows for activation of this cell type through selective binding of its ligand.

    “Expression of engineered G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), called Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs), in astrocytes allows for activation of this cell type through selective binding of its ligand (Lee et al., 2014;Roth, 2016;Urban and Roth, 2015).”
  • These advances have been enabled by opto- and chemogenetics, viral vector-mediated transgenics, and Cre-dependent expression systems.

    “These advances have been enabled by techniques like opto- and chemogenetics [6,7], viral vector-mediated transgenics [8], and Cre-dependent expression systems [9]”
  • Chemogenetic studies involved controls: GFP infection (VEH and CNO) and DREADD infection (VEH and CNO) for all behavioral studies to control for DREADD activation and potential effects of VEH and to control for CNO off-target effects.

    “Chemogenetic studies involved the following controls: GFP infection (VEH and CNO) and designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADD) infection (VEH and CNO) for all behavioral studies to control for DREADD activation and potential effects of VEH and to control for CNO off-target effects76.”

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Authors
Roth, B. L.
Affiliations
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
Corresponding author
Roth, Bryan L.
Venue
Neuron
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-02
Volume
89
Issue
4
Pages
683-694
ISSN
0896-6273 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2275148408
Cited by
1,742
References
130
Citations by year
2026: 139 · 2025: 190 · 2024: 206 · 2023: 209 · 2022: 193 · 2021: 194 · 2020: 182 · 2019: 164 · 2018: 131 · 2017: 94 · 2016: 40
FWCI
15.67
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuron (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (submittedVersion)
  • UNC Libraries
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (U19MH082441, U01MH105892, UO1MH105892)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (P01DA035764, R01DA017204)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
Keywords
DREADD, chemogenetics, neuronal transduction, brain circuits, behavior, freely moving animals
MeSH terms
Animals, Humans, Ligands, Drug Design, Signal Transduction, Receptors, Neurotransmitter, Translational Research, Biomedical, Molecular Targeted Therapy

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