Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37985758›Full record

ArticleNature communications2023

Architecture and regulation of a GDNF-GFRα1 synaptic adhesion assembly.

F M Houghton, S E Adams, A S Ríos, L Masino, A G Purkiss, D C Briggs, F Ledda, N Q McDonald

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2023. 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
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 22% 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. Review
  2. A cerebrospinal fluid blood-brain barrier dysfunction score is associated with progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026
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  4. Review
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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

8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

F M HoughtonSignalling and Structural Biology laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-0797-3441
S E AdamsSignalling and Structural Biology laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-3109-4316
A S RíosFundación Instituto Leloir, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, C1405BWE, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
L MasinoStructural Biology Science and Technology Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-5326-7003
A G PurkissStructural Biology Science and Technology Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-5931-3509
D C BriggsSignalling and Structural Biology laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9793-7339
F LeddaFundación Instituto Leloir, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, C1405BWE, Buenos Aires, Argentina.ORCID 0000-0002-9769-6926
N Q McDonaldSignalling and Structural Biology laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK. Neil.McDonald@crick.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0003-0975-6325
The Francis Crick Institute · GBFundación Instituto Leloir · AR

Funding

Selective RET Kinase and Its Mutant Inhibitors for the Treatment of Medullary Thyroid CancerR01CA197178 · NCI · UNIV OF ARKANSAS FOR MED SCIS · PI LI, HONG-YU, MCDONALD, NEIL · 2015 to 2019
$1.5M
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA197178Wellcome Trust CC2068
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Glial-cell line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) bound to its co-receptor GFRα1 stimulates the RET receptor tyrosine kinase, promoting neuronal survival and neuroprotection. The GDNF-GFRα1 complex also supports synaptic cell adhesion independently of RET. Here, we describe the structure of a decameric GDNF-GFRα1 assembly determined by crystallography and electron microscopy, revealing two GFRα1 pentamers bridged by five GDNF dimers. We reconsitituted the assembly between adhering liposomes and used cryo-electron tomography to visualize how the complex fulfils its membrane adhesion function. The GFRα1:GFRα1 pentameric interface was further validated both in vitro by native PAGE and in cellulo by cell-clustering and dendritic spine assays. Finally, we provide biochemical and cell-based evidence that RET and heparan sulfate cooperate to prevent assembly of the adhesion complex by competing for the adhesion interface. Our results provide a mechanistic framework to understand GDNF-driven cell adhesion, its relationship to trophic signalling, and the central role played by GFRα1.

Indexed as

Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic FactorProto-Oncogene Proteins c-retProto-Oncogene ProteinsSignal TransductionGlial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic FactorProto-Oncogene ProteinsProto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret

Identifiers

PMID37985758
PMCPMC10661694
OpenAlexW4388821060

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.