Expression data from mice serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN)

It have been demonstrated that the activity of DRN serotonin neurons is decreased by chronic stress and is increased by chronic treatment with antidepressants, which renders stress resiliency. Mechanistically, it have been reported that repeated optogenetic activation of the DRN serotonin neurons induces stress resiliency, while their chronic inhibition leads to loss of stress resiliency.

Although these results strongly suggest the deterministic role of the activity of DRN serotonin neurons in stress resiliency, the mechanisms underlying the chronic activity changes of DRN serotonin neurons are yet to be unveiled. We investigated how the transcriptomic landscape of DRN serotonin neurons changes after spontaneously acquired stress resiliency (resilient mice after chronic social defeat stress) and drug-induced stress resiliency (chronic antidepressant treatment).