OSCR

Bazedoxifene reverses sexually dimorphic autistic-like abnormalities in biallelic MDGA1-mutant mice.

Overview

Authors: Seungjoon Kim1,2, Hyeonho Kim1,2, Javier Porta Pelayo3, Sara Alvarez4, Gyubin Jang1,2, Jinhu Kim1,2, Byeongchan Kim1, Victoria M Hoelscher5, Beatriz Calleja-Pérez6, Hyunsu Jung7, Yeji Yang8,9, Hea Ji Lee8, Jihae Lee10, Seoyeon Kim11,12,13, Mar Jiménez de la Peña14,15, Yelin Lee1, Sohye Kim1, Ah-reum Han16, Dong Sun Lee16, Sangho Ji1
and 9 other authorsWookyung Yu1,2, Ho Min Kim9,16, Joon-Yong An10,11,12,13, Won Chan Oh5, Seok-Kyu Kwon7,17, Jin Young Kim8,18, Ji Won Um1,2, Alberto Fernández-Jaén18,19, Jaewon Ko1,2
19 affiliations
  1. Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST),Daegu, Korea
  2. Center for Synapse Diversity and Specificity, DGIST,Daegu, Korea
  3. Genomics, Genologica,Málaga, Spain
  4. Genomics, NimGenetics,Madrid, Spain
  5. Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus,Aurora, CO USA
  6. Pediatric Primary Care, C.S. Doctor Cirajas, Madrid, Spain
  7. Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST),Seoul, Korea
  8. Digital Omics Research Center, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI),Ochang, Korea
  9. Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST),Daejeon, Korea
  10. School of Biosystem and Biomedical Science, College of Health Science, Korea University,Seoul, Korea
  11. Department of Integrated Biomedical and Life Science, Korea University,Seoul, Korea
  12. BK21 Four R&E Center for Learning Health Systems, Korea University,Seoul, Korea
  13. L-HOPE Program for Community-Based Total Learning Health Systems, Korea University,Seoul, Korea
  14. Neuroimaging, Hospital Universitario Quirónsalud,Madrid, Spain
  15. Universidad Europea de Madrid,Madrid, Spain
  16. Center for Biomolecular & Cellular Structure, Institute for Basic Science (IBS),Daejeon, Korea
  17. Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST),Daejeon, Korea
  18. College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University,Seoul, Korea
  19. Department of Pediatric Neurology, Hospital Universitario Quirónsalud,Madrid, Spain
Journal: EMBO molecular medicine, volume 18, issue 4, pages 1358-1398
Dates: received 9 June 2025; accepted 24 February 2026; published online 20 March 2026; in print April 2026
Type: Research article · Language: English
License: CC BY
Identifiers: DOI 10.1038/s44321-026-00402-y · PMID 41862769 · PMCID PMC13084050 · OpenAlex W7139916278
Open access: gold, a free copy (OpenAlex)
Categories: human (organism), mouse (organism), autism (population), cellular / molecular (subfield)
Methods: Spectral & time-frequency, Statistics, Smoothing, state filtering, decompositions, Evoked potentials, fMRI & imaging
Keywords: MDGA1, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Inhibitory Synapse, Communication Deficits, Social Deficits, Neuroscience
MeSH: Autism Spectrum Disorder*, Autistic Disorder*, Indoles*, Animals, Disease Models, Animal, Female, Humans, Male, Mice, Mutation, Missense, Receptor, Metabotropic Glutamate 5 (* major topic)
Topic: Autism Spectrum Disorder Research (Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuroscience), according to OpenAlex
Funding: National Research Foundation of Korea (RS-2022-NR070708, 2022R1C1C200003499, RS-2024-00339642, NR-2020R1C1C1003426, RS-2023-00264980, RS-2024-00399031, RS-2023-NR076948); Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI) (C523400); Institute for Basic Science (IBS-R030-C1); national institutes of health (R01MH124778, R21MH126073, R21NS133681)
Citations: not cited yet (Europe PMC); 123 references in the paper
Research resources: Chicken polyclonal anti-EGFP RRID:AB_10000240, Mouse monoclonal anti-PV RRID:AB_10000343, Mouse monoclonal anti-Calbindin RRID:AB_10000347, Chicken polyclonal anti-Tbr1 RRID:AB_10615497, Rabbit monoclonal anti-HA RRID:AB_1549585, Goat polyclonal anti-EGFP RRID:AB_218182, Rabbit polyclonal anti-Wfs1 RRID:AB_2216046, Rat monoclonal anti-SST RRID:AB_2255365, RRID:AB_2263066, Mouse monoclonal anti-GAD67 RRID:AB_2278725, Mouse monoclonal anti-NeuN RRID:AB_2298772, Guinea pig polyclonal anti-VGLUT1 RRID:AB_2301751, Cy3-donkey anti-human IgG RRID:AB_2340535, FITC-conjugated anti-rabbit IgG RRID:AB_2340612, Cy3-conjugated anti-mouse IgG RRID:AB_2340813, Alexa Fluor 647-conjugated antibodies RRID:AB_2340905, Alexa Fluor 488-conjugated antibodies RRID:AB_2341099, Mouse monoclonal anti-HA RRID:AB_2565006, Mouse monoclonal anti-Synapsin I RRID:AB_2619722, Mouse monoclonal anti-Synapsin II RRID:AB_2619774, RRID:AB_2663626, Rabbit polyclonal anti-PSD-95 RRID:AB_2722693, Rabbit monoclonal anti-c-Fos RRID:AB_2798537, Rabbit polyclonal anti-pan-SHANK RRID:AB_2810261, Rabbit polyclonal anti-phosphoserine RRID:AB_390205, Mouse monoclonal anti-β-actin RRID:AB_476743, Mouse anti-Synapsin II RRID:AB_477499, Mouse monoclonal anti-GFAP RRID:AB_561049, Rabbit polyclonal anti-Iba-1 RRID:AB_839506, Rabbit anti-Gephyrin RRID:AB_887702, Mouse monoclonal anti-gephyrin RRID:AB_887719, Mouse monoclonal anti-Nlgn1 RRID:AB_887747, Rabbit polyclonal anti-VGAT RRID:AB_887869, Rabbit anti-VGAT RRID:AB_887871, Mouse monoclonal anti-APP RRID:AB_94882, Mouse monoclonal anti-NMDAR1 RRID:AB_94946, Rabbit polyclonal anti-Nlgn2 RRID:AB_993011, GraphPad Prism RRID:SCR_002798

Abstract

MDGA1 reportedly suppresses GABAergic synaptic inhibition and may be associated with schizophrenia. However, it has been unclear whether and how MDGA1 dysfunction causes neurodevelopmental disorders. Here, we describe two patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) carrying missense mutations in MDGA1: p.Val116Met/p.Ala688Val and p.Tyr635Cys/p.Glu756Gln. Murine in utero overexpression of MDGA1 p.Val116Met/p.Ala688Val alters normal cortical neuron migration and impairs ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). The p.Tyr635Cys/p.Glu756Gln substitution disrupts the triangular extracellular structure of MDGA1 and renders it unable to impact GABAergic synapses in hippocampal CA1 neurons. Male Mdga1 knock-in (KI) mouse pups and adults harboring the p.Tyr636Cys/p.Glu751Gln mutation exhibit impaired USVs and sensorimotor gating, similar to male Mdga1 conditional knockout (cKO) mice. No behavioral deficits were seen in female counterparts. Bazedoxifene (a selective estrogen receptor modulator) treatment of male Mdga1Y636C/E751Q KI mice rescues the changes in the expression and phosphorylation of a subset of GABAergic synaptic proteins, as well as behavioral performance and GABAergic synaptic strength. Thus, different MDGA1 mutations manifest as distinct MDGA1 dysfunctions and are likely to cause ASD via sexually dimorphic loss-of-function and/or gain-of-function mechanisms.

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.

Code

The paper links to its data and to no code of its authors: see the Data section.

Tracing map

A tracing map links a paper to the code its authors published: this paper has none, so it has no map.

Data

Data links

Data availability

The raw MS data files for total proteomics have been deposited to the MassIVE repository with identifier PXD057134 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/cgi/GetDataset?ID=PXD057134) (ftp://massive-ftp.ucsd.edu/v07/MSV000096187/) for data from Mdga1-cKO mice and identifier PXD057136 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/cgi/GetDataset?ID=PXD057136) (ftp://massive-ftp.ucsd.edu/v07/MSV000096188/) for data from Mdga1Y636C/E751Q KI mice.

The source data of this paper are collected in the following database record: biostudies:S-SCDT-10_1038-S44321-026-00402-y (https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/sourcedata/studies/S-SCDT-10_1038-S44321-026-00402-y).

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.

Versions

The history of this record: each version stored by the harvester or made by a correction of its authors or of the maintainers of its code, and what changed in its facts. The texts of the paper (its abstract, its availability statements) are not part of it; versions that changed only those are not listed.

Version 1, 30 September 2026: the first record

Recorded: type, language, journal, volume, issue, pages, dates, 29 authors, 6 keywords, 11 MeSH terms, 4 funders, 122 references, 38 RRIDs.

Cite

This paper

Kim, S., Kim, H., Pelayo, J. P., Alvarez, S., Jang, G., Kim, J., Kim, B., Hoelscher, V. M., Calleja-Pérez, B., Jung, H., Yang, Y., Lee, H. J., Lee, J., Kim, S., de la Peña, M. J., Lee, Y., Kim, S., Han, A.-r., Lee, D. S., . . . Ko, J. (2026). Bazedoxifene reverses sexually dimorphic autistic-like abnormalities in biallelic MDGA1-mutant mice. EMBO molecular medicine, 18(4), 1358-1398. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44321-026-00402-y

BibTeX

@article{kim2026bazedoxifene,
author = {Kim, Seungjoon and Kim, Hyeonho and Pelayo, Javier Porta and Alvarez, Sara and Jang, Gyubin and Kim, Jinhu and Kim, Byeongchan and Hoelscher, Victoria M and Calleja-Pérez, Beatriz and Jung, Hyunsu and Yang, Yeji and Lee, Hea Ji and Lee, Jihae and Kim, Seoyeon and de la Peña, Mar Jiménez and Lee, Yelin and Kim, Sohye and Han, Ah-reum and Lee, Dong Sun and Ji, Sangho and Yu, Wookyung and Kim, Ho Min and An, Joon-Yong and Oh, Won Chan and Kwon, Seok-Kyu and Kim, Jin Young and Um, Ji Won and Fernández-Jaén, Alberto and Ko, Jaewon},
title = {{Bazedoxifene reverses sexually dimorphic autistic-like abnormalities in biallelic MDGA1-mutant mice}},
journal = {EMBO molecular medicine},
year = {2026},
month = mar,
volume = {18},
number = {4},
pages = {1358--1398},
publisher = {Nature Publishing Group},
issn = {1757-4676},
doi = {10.1038/s44321-026-00402-y},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s44321-026-00402-y},
pmid = {41862769},
pmcid = {PMC13084050}
}

RIS

TY - JOUR
AU - Kim, Seungjoon
AU - Kim, Hyeonho
AU - Pelayo, Javier Porta
AU - Alvarez, Sara
AU - Jang, Gyubin
AU - Kim, Jinhu
AU - Kim, Byeongchan
AU - Hoelscher, Victoria M
AU - Calleja-Pérez, Beatriz
AU - Jung, Hyunsu
AU - Yang, Yeji
AU - Lee, Hea Ji
AU - Lee, Jihae
AU - Kim, Seoyeon
AU - de la Peña, Mar Jiménez
AU - Lee, Yelin
AU - Kim, Sohye
AU - Han, Ah-reum
AU - Lee, Dong Sun
AU - Ji, Sangho
AU - Yu, Wookyung
AU - Kim, Ho Min
AU - An, Joon-Yong
AU - Oh, Won Chan
AU - Kwon, Seok-Kyu
AU - Kim, Jin Young
AU - Um, Ji Won
AU - Fernández-Jaén, Alberto
AU - Ko, Jaewon
TI - Bazedoxifene reverses sexually dimorphic autistic-like abnormalities in biallelic MDGA1-mutant mice
T2 - EMBO molecular medicine
J2 - EMBO Mol Med
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/03/20
VL - 18
IS - 4
SP - 1358
EP - 1398
SN - 1757-4676
PB - Nature Publishing Group
DO - 10.1038/s44321-026-00402-y
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s44321-026-00402-y
LA - en
ER -

CSL-JSON

{
"id": "10.1038/s44321-026-00402-y",
"type": "article-journal",
"title": "Bazedoxifene reverses sexually dimorphic autistic-like abnormalities in biallelic MDGA1-mutant mice",
"container-title": "EMBO molecular medicine",
"author": [
{
"family": "Kim",
"given": "Seungjoon"
},
{
"family": "Kim",
"given": "Hyeonho"
},
{
"family": "Pelayo",
"given": "Javier Porta"
},
{
"family": "Alvarez",
"given": "Sara"
},
{
"family": "Jang",
"given": "Gyubin"
},
{
"family": "Kim",
"given": "Jinhu"
},
{
"family": "Kim",
"given": "Byeongchan"
},
{
"family": "Hoelscher",
"given": "Victoria M"
},
{
"family": "Calleja-Pérez",
"given": "Beatriz"
},
{
"family": "Jung",
"given": "Hyunsu"
},
{
"family": "Yang",
"given": "Yeji"
},
{
"family": "Lee",
"given": "Hea Ji"
},
{
"family": "Lee",
"given": "Jihae"
},
{
"family": "Kim",
"given": "Seoyeon"
},
{
"family": "de la Peña",
"given": "Mar Jiménez"
},
{
"family": "Lee",
"given": "Yelin"
},
{
"family": "Kim",
"given": "Sohye"
},
{
"family": "Han",
"given": "Ah-reum"
},
{
"family": "Lee",
"given": "Dong Sun"
},
{
"family": "Ji",
"given": "Sangho"
},
{
"family": "Yu",
"given": "Wookyung"
},
{
"family": "Kim",
"given": "Ho Min"
},
{
"family": "An",
"given": "Joon-Yong"
},
{
"family": "Oh",
"given": "Won Chan"
},
{
"family": "Kwon",
"given": "Seok-Kyu"
},
{
"family": "Kim",
"given": "Jin Young"
},
{
"family": "Um",
"given": "Ji Won"
},
{
"family": "Fernández-Jaén",
"given": "Alberto"
},
{
"family": "Ko",
"given": "Jaewon"
}
],
"container-title-short": "EMBO Mol Med",
"volume": "18",
"issue": "4",
"page": "1358-1398",
"DOI": "10.1038/s44321-026-00402-y",
"PMID": "41862769",
"PMCID": "PMC13084050",
"ISSN": "1757-4676",
"publisher": "Nature Publishing Group",
"URL": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s44321-026-00402-y",
"language": "en",
"issued": {
"date-parts": [
[
2026,
3,
20
]
]
}
}

Similar papers

The papers with a page that share the most with this one: the tools found in their code, their categories, datasets, cited references and authors, the rarest counting most.

[1] doi:10.1038/s41467-022-31566-z
SLITRK2 variants associated with neurodevelopmental disorders impair excitatory synaptic function and cognition in mice.
Journal: Nature communications
In common: autism, mouse, 4 references, 4 authors
[2] doi:10.1038/s41467-024-45695-0
Specification of neural circuit architecture shaped by context-dependent patterned LAR-RPTP microexons.
Journal: Nature communications
In common: mouse, 3 references, 3 authors
[3] doi:10.1016/j.ajhg.2025.12.015
MDGA2 homozygous loss-of-function variants cause developmental and epileptic encephalopathy.
Journal: American journal of human genetics
In common: 7 references
[4] doi:10.1038/s44319-024-00286-4
Distinct mechanisms control the specific synaptic functions of Neuroligin 1 and Neuroligin 2.
Journal: EMBO reports
In common: mouse, cellular / molecular, 6 references
[5] doi:10.1038/s41467-024-49297-8
GolpHCat (TMEM87A), a unique voltage-dependent cation channel in Golgi apparatus, contributes to Golgi-pH maintenance and hippocampus-dependent memory.
Journal: Nature communications
In common: mouse, cellular / molecular, 2 references, author Ho Min Kim
[6] doi:10.1016/j.xgen.2025.100890 [code]
Early establishment and life course stability of sex biases in the human brain transcriptome.
Journal: Cell genomics
In common: 6 references
[7] doi:10.1016/j.mocell.2026.100387
USP15 mutation associated with autism spectrum disorder alters progenitor fate and neuronal maturation in human brain organoids.
Journal: Molecules and cells
In common: autism, mouse, 5 references
[8] doi:10.1038/s41593-026-02247-7 [code]
Transcriptomic and phenotypic convergence of neurodevelopmental disorder risk genes in vitro and in vivo.
Journal: Nature neuroscience
In common: autism, cellular / molecular, 5 references
[9] doi:10.1093/molbev/msaf189 [code]
A General Principle of Neuronal Evolution Reveals a Human-Accelerated Neuron Type Potentially Underlying the High Prevalence of Autism in Humans.
Journal: Molecular biology and evolution
In common: autism, cellular / molecular, 6 references
[10] doi:10.1093/genetics/iyaf156
Multiple autism genes influence GABA neuron remodeling via distinct developmental trajectories.
Journal: Genetics
In common: autism, cellular / molecular, 5 references

Contribute

The authors of this paper can claim it, correct its record and validate its tracing map, and the maintainers of its code (its owner, or a public member of its organization) correct what it says of their repository; anyone signed in can ask for its removal. Every request goes to OSCR's own machine, which answers it; your account page follows them.

Sign in with ORCID to claim this paper as one of its authors, correct its record or validate its tracing map: when the paper's metadata lists your ORCID iD, you are recognized at once. Maintainers of its code: sign in with GitHub, then claim the repository on your account page.

Request its removal

To ask OSCR to remove this record, the copies of its authors' scripts or its tracing map, use the removal request page: signed in, you say who you are, what to remove and why, then review and confirm the request. Published rules decide every request (how).

Discussion, reproductions, activity

Discussion: code errors and mismatches between the code and the paper about this paper and its code, from readers and its authors, beside the paper and its tracing map.

Reproductions: reports from readers who ran the authors' code and did not get the paper's result, what they ran, with which environment, commit and data.

Activity: what happens around this paper: new versions of its record, its map's validation, discussions and reproductions. It opens with sign-in.