Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33475140›Full record

ArticleJournal of molecular cell biology2021

Ablation of Zfhx4 results in early postnatal lethality by disrupting the respiratory center in mice.

Meiqin Zhang, Sichen Du, Huayuan Ou, Renjie Cui, Nan Jiang, Yifeng Lin, Runsheng Ge, Duan Ma, Jin Zhang

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of molecular cell biology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 53% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. A conservedbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Loss-of-function of the Zinc Finger Homeobox 4 (medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2024
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Meiqin ZhangKey Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Sichen DuKey Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Huayuan OuKey Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Renjie CuiKey Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Nan JiangKey Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Yifeng LinChildren's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China.
Runsheng GeKey Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Duan MaKey Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Jin ZhangKey Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University · CNChildren's Hospital of Fudan University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Breathing is an integrated motor behavior that is driven and controlled by a network of brainstem neurons. Zfhx4 is a zinc finger transcription factor and our results showed that it was specifically expressed in several regions of the mouse brainstem. Mice lacking Zfhx4 died shortly after birth from an apparent inability to initiate respiration. We also found that the electrical rhythm of brainstem‒spinal cord preparations was significantly depressed in Zfhx4-null mice compared to wild-type mice. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that Zfhx4 was coexpressed with Phox2b and Math1 in the brainstem and that Zfhx4 ablation greatly decreased the expression of these proteins, especially in the retrotrapezoid nucleus. Combined ChIP‒seq and mRNA expression microarray analysis identified Phox2b as the direct downstream target gene of Zfhx4, and this finding was validated by ChIP‒qPCR. Previous studies have reported that both Phox2b and Math1 play key roles in the development of the respiratory center, and Phox2b and Math1 knockout mice are neonatal lethal due to severe central apnea. On top of this, our study revealed that Zfhx4 is a critical regulator of Phox2b expression and essential for perinatal breathing.

Indexed as

ApneaRespiratory CenterAnimalsBasic Helix-Loop-Helix ProteinsBrainBrain StemGene Expression RegulationHomeodomain ProteinsMiceMice, KnockoutNeuronsRespirationTranscription FactorsAtoh1 protein, mouseBasic Helix-Loop-Helix ProteinsHomeodomain ProteinsNBPhox proteinTranscription FactorsZfhx4 protein, mouseparafacial respiratory groupPhox2brespiratory centerZfhx4

Identifiers

PMID33475140
PMCPMC8260053
OpenAlexW3125657471

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.