Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40168357›Full record

ArticlePLoS biology2025

Mdga2 deficiency leads to an aberrant activation of BDNF/TrkB signaling that underlies autism-relevant synaptic and behavioral changes in mice.

Dongdong Zhao, Yuanhui Huo, Naizhen Zheng, Xiang Zhu, Dingting Yang, Yunqiang Zhou, Shengya Wang, Yiru Jiang, Yili Wu, Yun-Wu Zhang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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  5. The genetic architecture of fibromyalgia across 2.5 million individuals.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2025
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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

10 authors.

Dongdong ZhaoInstitute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Yuanhui HuoXiamen Key Laboratory of Brain Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Naizhen ZhengXiamen Key Laboratory of Brain Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Xiang ZhuXiamen Key Laboratory of Brain Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Dingting YangXiamen Key Laboratory of Brain Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Yunqiang ZhouXiamen Key Laboratory of Brain Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Shengya WangInstitute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Yiru JiangXiamen Key Laboratory of Brain Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Yili WuInstitute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Yun-Wu ZhangXiamen Key Laboratory of Brain Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7152-7630

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Memprin/A5/mu (MAM) domain containing glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor 2 (MDGA2) is an excitatory synaptic suppressor and its mutations have been associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the detailed physiological function of MDGA2 and the mechanism underlying MDGA2 deficiency-caused ASD has yet to be elucidated. Herein, we not only confirm that Mdga2 +/- mice exhibit increased excitatory synapse transmission and ASD-like behaviors, but also identify aberrant brain-derived neurotrophic factor/tyrosine kinase B (BDNF/TrkB) signaling activation in these mice. We demonstrate that MDGA2 interacts with TrkB through its memprin/A5/mu domain, thereby competing the binding of BDNF to TrkB. Both loss of MDGA2 and the ASD-associated MDGA2 V930I mutation promote the BDNF/TrkB signaling activity. Importantly, we demonstrate that inhibiting the BDNF/TrkB signaling by both small molecular compound and MDGA2-derived peptide can attenuate the increase of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptor-mediated excitatory synaptic activity and social deficits in MDGA2-deficient mice. These results highlight a novel MDGA2-BDNF/TrkB-dependent mechanism underlying the synaptic function regulation, which may become a therapeutic target for ASD.

Indexed as

Autism Spectrum DisorderAutistic DisorderBrain-Derived Neurotrophic FactorMembrane GlycoproteinsReceptor, trkBAnimalsBehavior, AnimalHumansMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMice, KnockoutReceptors, AMPASignal TransductionSynapsesSynaptic TransmissionBdnf protein, mouseBrain-Derived Neurotrophic FactorMembrane GlycoproteinsNtrk2 protein, mouseReceptors, AMPAReceptor, trkB

Identifiers

PMID40168357
PMCPMC11960969

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Registered trials

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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.