Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40210858›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

A TLK2-mediated calcium-driven cell death pathway links neuronal degeneration to nuclear envelope disruption.

Yajie Li, Huaiyuan Huang, Jingwen Gao, Jinhong Lu, Guifeng Kang, Yipeng Ge, Wencan Jiang, Xiang Cai, Guojun Zhang, Lei Liu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
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.

Yajie LiDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology School of Basic Medicine, Capital Medical University, Youanmen, Beijing, 100069, China.
Huaiyuan HuangDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology School of Basic Medicine, Capital Medical University, Youanmen, Beijing, 100069, China.
Jingwen GaoDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology School of Basic Medicine, Capital Medical University, Youanmen, Beijing, 100069, China.
Jinhong LuDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology School of Basic Medicine, Capital Medical University, Youanmen, Beijing, 100069, China.
Guifeng KangSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Youanmen, Beijing, 100069, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2196-4621
Yipeng GeDepartment of Cardiovascular Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Anzhen Road 2#, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 10029, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2822-7111
Wencan JiangDepartment of Clinical Diagnosis, Laboratory of Beijing Tiantan Hospital and Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070, China.
Xiang CaiOujiang Laboratory, School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-5348-2619
Guojun ZhangDepartment of Clinical Diagnosis, Laboratory of Beijing Tiantan Hospital and Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070, China. guojun.zhang@ccmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4911-5784
Lei LiuDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology School of Basic Medicine, Capital Medical University, Youanmen, Beijing, 100069, China. leiliu@ccmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6387-7745

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Calcium overload drives neuronal cell death, but its mechanisms remain unclear. Previous studies in Drosophila implicated tousled-like kinase (TLK) in this process. Here, we investigated TLK2, the mammalian homolog, in calcium overload-induced neuronal death. We found that calcium overload enhances TLK2 expression, multimerization, and phosphorylation, increasing its kinase activity. Inhibiting TLK2 via RNA interference or a small-molecule inhibitor reduced neuronal death, while TLK2 overexpression triggered nuclear envelope (NE) rupture, nuclear enlargement, multinucleation, and cell cycle reentry markers. A protein complex involving TLK2, dynein light chain LC8, and myosin IIA was linked to NE disruption. In mouse models of glaucoma, TLK2 contributed to retinal ganglion cell degeneration, connecting calcium overload to neurodegeneration. We propose "CaToptosis" (Calcium-induced Tousled-like kinase-mediated cell death) as a distinct neuronal death pathway.

Indexed as

CalciumNeuronsNuclear EnvelopeProtein Serine-Threonine KinasesAnimalsCell DeathHumansMicePhosphorylationRetinal Ganglion CellsCalciumProtein Serine-Threonine Kinases

Identifiers

PMID40210858
PMCPMC11986041

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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.