Noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC-NE) neurons are involved in sleep-to-wake transitions and the maintenance of wakefulness, but a definitive role for noradrenaline has not been established. Here, the dopamine β-hydroxylase gene (Dbh) was disrupted selectively in mouse LC-NE neurons in vivo using CRISPR–Cas9 technology. This protocol considerably reduced noradrenaline in the LC. Bilateral LC-specific Dbh disruption decreased the total wake period of these animals compared with controls and reduced arousal in response to a stressful stimulus, suggesting noradrenaline is involved in the maintenance of wakelfulness induced by salient stimuli.
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Yamaguchi, H. et al. In vivo cell type-specific CRISPR knockdown of dopamine beta hydroxylase reduces locus coeruleus evoked wakefulness. Nat. Commun. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-07566-3 (2018)
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Lewis, S. From sleeping to waking. Nat Rev Neurosci 20, 69 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-018-0119-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-018-0119-8
