Chemogenetic Silencing of Neonatal Spontaneous Activity of Projection Neurons in the Dorsal Striatum of Mice

Neuroscience incorporates manipulating neuronal circuitry to enhance the understanding of intricate brain functions. An effective strategy to attain this objective entails utilizing viral vectors to induce varied gene expression by delivering transgenes into brain cells. Here, we combine the use of transgenic mice, neonatal transduction with adeno-associated viral constructs harboring inhibitory designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drug (DREADD) gene, and the DREADD agonist clozapine N-oxide (CNO). In this way, a chemogenetic approach is employed to suppress neuronal activity in the region of interest during a critical developmental window, with subsequent investigation into its effects on the neuronal circuitry in adulthood. Key features • Comprehensive protocol for newborn viral transduction in the dorsal striatum of mice • Uses a viral construct encoding inhibitory DREADD under the control of Cre recombinase to attenuate the activity of specific cell types in the brain.