Drd3-P2A-CreERT2 Transgenic Mice for Labeling and Manipulating Drd3 neuron

The D3 dopamine receptor (Drd3) participates in several brain disorders, including depression, Parkinson's disease, and drug addiction. To study neurons that express Drd3, we created a Drd3-P2A-CreERT2 knock-in mouse. We used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to build this model. We then ran three behavioral tests. These were the open field test, the elevated plus maze, and the three-chamber social interaction test. We found no significant differences between groups in central area exploration time. We also saw no differences in time spent in open arms or in preference for social novelty. These results show that the modified mice do not exhibit abnormal anxiety or social behaviors. Next, we injected rAAV-hSyn-DIO-mCherry into the dorsal striatum. We observed clear labeling of Drd3-expressing neuron cell bodies and axons. We saw this labeling in the dorsal striatum, the lateral septum, the nucleus accumbens, the reticular nucleus, and various hippocampal regions. This pattern allowed us to map the projection pathways of these neurons.