Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33691102›Full record

ArticleCell reports2021

Astrocyte-derived small extracellular vesicles promote synapse formation via fibulin-2-mediated TGF-β signaling.

Mikin R Patel, Alissa M Weaver

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cell reports, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 77 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
77citing papers in PubMed
6.9field-weighted citation impact, top 2% 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

77 citing papers in PubMed, 124 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Article
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  5. Neuronal Calcium Signaling and Cytoskeletal Dynamics in Neurodegeneration.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Review
  13. Extracellular RNAs as Messengers and Early Biomarkers in Neurodegeneration.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Review
  20. Review

17 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Mikin R PatelDepartment of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
Alissa M WeaverDepartment of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA. Electronic address: alissa.weaver@vanderbilt.edu.
Vanderbilt University · US

Funding

Exosome-Filopodia InteractionsR01GM117916 · NIGMS · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · PI WEAVER, ALISSA M · 2016 to 2019
$2.0M
NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM117916
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Neuronal synapse formation is critical for brain development and depends on secreted factors from astrocytes. Here, we report that small extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted from primary astrocytes, but not from neurons or C6 glioma cells, greatly enhance spine and synapse formation by primary cortical neurons. A comparative proteomics analysis of small EVs from astrocytes, neurons, and C6 glioma cells identified fibulin-2 as a promising EV cargo to regulate synaptogenesis. Treatment of cortical neurons with recombinant fibulin-2 increased the formation of spines and synapses, similar to the effect of small EVs. In addition, treatment of neurons with fibulin-2 or astrocyte-derived small EVs led to increased phosphorylation of Smad2, an indicator of TGF-β signaling. Finally, the effects of fibulin-2 and astrocyte-derived small EVs on synapse formation were reversed by inhibiting transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling. These data suggest a model in which astrocyte EVs promote synapse formation via fibulin-2-mediated activation of TGF-β signaling.

Indexed as

Signal TransductionAnimalsAstrocytesCalcium-Binding ProteinsCells, CulturedDendritic SpinesExtracellular Matrix ProteinsExtracellular VesiclesFemaleHSP70 Heat-Shock ProteinsHumansNeuronsPhosphorylationRatsRats, Sprague-DawleyRecombinant ProteinsCalcium-Binding ProteinsExtracellular Matrix Proteinsfibulin 2HSP70 Heat-Shock ProteinsRecombinant ProteinsRNA, Small InterferingSmad2 ProteinTransforming Growth Factor betaAstrocyte-derived small extracellular vesiclesfibulin-2synaptogenesisTGF-β signaling

Identifiers

PMID33691102
PMCPMC8002899
OpenAlexW3135205196

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.