The molecular signature of astrocytes in a sensory deprivation model

Astrocytes, the most abundant glial cell population in the central nervous system, play a crucialrole in regulating neuronal networks in response to sensory input changes. Despite their pivotalrole, the molecular basis underlying astrocytic involvement remains largely unexplored. Ourstudy aims to develop a conceptual framework of astrocytic translatome, elucidating theircontribution following sensory deprivation. To achieve this, we employed Aldh1l1-cre/ERT2 xRPL22tm1.1Psam (Ribotag) mice and induced astrocytic-specific ribosome labelling throughtamoxifen administration. Sensory deprivation was induced via monocular deprivation (MD) ina cross-sectional manner. Ribosome-associated astrocytic mRNA (translatome) and total RNAwere extracted for RNA sequencing and real-time PCR, respectively. Our results revealed thatMD led to downregulated neuronal activity markers in the deprived cortex. Furthermore, theastrocytic RNA translatome exhibited significant downregulation of genes associated withcholesterol metabolic processes. In conclusion, our study advances the understanding ofastrocytic modulation in post-sensory deprivation.