State-Dependent Remodeling of Astrocytic Proteome and Phosphorylation Signaling Networks Across Wake, Sleep, and General Anesthesia.
International journal of molecular sciences February 25, 2026 Mengchan Su, Qingran Li, Ping Liao et al.
Astrocytes undergo extensive molecular reprogramming during transitions of consciousness. Proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses of rat cortical astrocytes across wake, sleep, and sevoflurane-induced general anesthesia revealed state-specific molecular signatures. Sleep and anesthesia shared similar changes such as downregulated structural proteins and upregulated membrane transport complexes, but diverged in molecular expression. Anesthesia specifically suggested potential activation of cellular differentiation and structural plasticity pathways, while implying disruption of metabolism and molecular clearance compared to sleep. Phosphoproteomics identified downregulated phosphorylation of NUCKS1 at Ser188 during anesthesia, suggesting suppressed nuclear transcription or cell cycle activity as a potential molecular signature of the anesthetic state. Sleep was associated with upregulated mRNA processing, while anesthesia indicated potential enhancement of synaptic signaling and suppression of development-related programs.