Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41871099›Full record

ArticleCell reports2026

The insertion of an ATTTC repeat in an Alu element hyperactivates a neurodevelopmental enhancer in spinocerebellar ataxia type 37.

Joana R Loureiro, Ana F Castro, Ana S Figueiredo, Ana Eufrásio, Ashutosh Dhingra, Mafalda Galhardo, Hugo Marcelino, Catarina C Rodrigues, Paula Sampaio, Maria Azevedo and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cell reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

16 authors.

Joana R LoureiroGenetics of Cognitive Dysfunction Laboratory, i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Ana F CastroGenetics of Cognitive Dysfunction Laboratory, i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; ICBAS, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
Ana S FigueiredoGenetics of Cognitive Dysfunction Laboratory, i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; ICBAS, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
Ana EufrásioGenetics of Cognitive Dysfunction Laboratory, i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Vertebrate Development and Regeneration Laboratory, i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
Ashutosh DhingraGerman Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Mafalda GalhardoIBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Vertebrate Development and Regeneration Laboratory, i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
Hugo MarcelinoIBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Vertebrate Development and Regeneration Laboratory, i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
Catarina C RodriguesGenetics of Cognitive Dysfunction Laboratory, i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
Paula SampaioIBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Advanced Light Microscopy, i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
Maria AzevedoIBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Advanced Light Microscopy, i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
Mafalda SousaIBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Advanced Light Microscopy, i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
Sofia DóriaGenetic Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and RISE-Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Patrizia RizzuGerman Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Peter HeutinkGerman Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
José BessaIBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Vertebrate Development and Regeneration Laboratory, i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: jose.bessa@i3s.up.pt.
Isabel SilveiraGenetics of Cognitive Dysfunction Laboratory, i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: isilveir@i3s.up.pt.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Alu elements are evolutionarily very old primate-specific interspersed repeat elements that constitute ∼11% of the human genome. They are a source of short tandem repeats (STRs), which often expand in size and cause inherited neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders. How expanded STR insertion mutations within Alu STRs culminate in disease remains unknown. Here, we report an Alu STR located in an intron of DAB1 that functions as a neurodevelopmental enhancer. We demonstrate that an ATTTC repeat insertion in this DAB1 Alu STR, known to cause spinocerebellar ataxia type 37 (SCA37), hyperactivates a neurodevelopmental DAB1 enhancer. Importantly, we show that neurons derived from SCA37 subjects have higher levels of DAB1 expression and that DAB1 overexpression causes abnormal axonal pathfinding in vivo. Overall, these results establish that neuronal dysregulation of a developmental DAB1 Alu STR enhancer contributes to SCA37 pathogenesis, an unexplored mechanism likely acting in many Alu STR diseases, potentially reshaping the therapeutic landscape.

Indexed as

4C-seqaxonal pathfindingCAGEcap analysis of gene expressioncerebellar transcriptional enhancercircularized chromosome conformation capture sequencingCP: genomicsCP: neuroscienceDAB1 primate-specific Alu elementiPSNneurodegenerative diseasepentanucleotide repeat expansionSCA37short tandem repeatspinocerebellar ataxia type 37STR

Identifiers

PMID41871099
PMCPMC13125401

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.