Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40079362›Full record

ArticleGenetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics2025

Biallelic null variants in C19orf44 cause a unique late-onset retinal dystrophy phenotype characterized by patchy perifoveal chorioretinal atrophy.

Miriam Ehrenberg, Maayan Avraham, Sandeep Sarma Asodu, Abigail R Moye, Riccardo Sangermano, Leah Rizel, Tahleel Ali-Nasser, Ifat Sher, David Gurwitz, Katherine R Chao and 14 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing 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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Biallelic loss-of-function variants inJournal of medical genetics · 2025
    Article
  4. 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

24 authors.

Miriam EhrenbergDepartment of Ophthalmology, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach Tikva, Israel; Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Maayan AvrahamThe Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Sandeep Sarma AsoduDivision of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Abigail R MoyeInstitute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), Basel, Switzerland; Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Riccardo SangermanoOcular Genomics Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Leah RizelThe Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Tahleel Ali-NasserThe Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Ifat SherFaculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Goldschleger Eye Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
David GurwitzFaculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sagol School for Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Katherine R ChaoBroad Center for Mendelian Genomics, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA.
Antonio RiveraDivision of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Andrew R WebsterNational Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital and The Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom; Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Carlo RivoltaInstitute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), Basel, Switzerland; Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.
Hadas NewmanDivision of Ophthalmology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Eran PrasFaculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Ophthalmology Department, Shamir Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.
Ygal RotenstreichFaculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Goldschleger Eye Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; Sagol School for Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Eyal BaninDivision of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Eric A PierceOcular Genomics Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Dinah ZurFaculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Division of Ophthalmology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Gavin ArnoNational Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital and The Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom; Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Greenwood Genetic Center, Greenwood, SC.
Kinga M BujakowskaOcular Genomics Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Siying LinNational Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital and The Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom; Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Dror SharonDivision of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Tamar Ben-YosefThe Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. Electronic address: benyosef@technion.ac.il.

Funding

Joint Center for Mendelian GenomicsUM1HG008900 · NHGRI · BROAD INSTITUTE, INC. · PI O'DONNELL-LURIA, ANNE, REHM, HEIDI L · 2016 to 2020
$16.5M
Precision Medicine for Inherited Retinal DegenerationsR01EY012910 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI Eric A Pierce · 1999 to 2026
$15.9M
P30 Core Grant for Vision ResearchP30EY014104 · NEI · MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY · PI Janey L Wiggs · 2002 to 2026
$15.1M
Statistical Methods for Gene Regulatory Analysis From Single Cell Genomics DataP20GM139769 · NIGMS · CLEMSON UNIVERSITY · PI ANHOLT, ROBERT R. H, ARNO, GAVIN · 2021 to 2025
$10.8M
Genetic Causes and Genetic Modifiers of Inherited Retinal DegenerationsR01EY026904 · NEI · MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY · PI BUJAKOWSKA, KINGA, PIERCE, ERIC A · 2017 to 2021
$3.0M
A powerful web-based discovery platform for rare disease geneticsR01HG009141 · NHGRI · BROAD INSTITUTE, INC. · PI QUINLAN, AARON R, REHM, HEIDI L · 2017 to 2020
$2.9M
NEI NIH HHS P30 EY014104NEI NIH HHS R01 EY012910NEI NIH HHS R01 EY026904NHGRI NIH HHS R01 HG009141NHGRI NIH HHS UM1 HG008900NIGMS NIH HHS P20 GM139769Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo identify the genetic cause for disease in individuals affected with inherited retinal disease and to characterize their retinal phenotype and the properties of the underlying gene.

methodsParticipants underwent a comprehensive ophthalmological evaluation, including best-corrected visual acuity, visual field testing, fundus autofluorescence, optical coherence tomography, and electroretinography. Genetic analyses included exome, genome, and Sanger sequencing. Gene expression pattern was analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Localization of the encoded protein in cells and in the human retina was examined by immunofluorescence staining.

resultsFour different pathogenic variants in C19orf44 were identified in 15 biallelic individuals from 11 unrelated families. The most common variant was c.549_550del p.(Ser185ProfsTer2). Most individuals were affected with a unique clinical phenotype characterized by late-onset patchy perifoveal chorioretinal atrophy and electroretinographic features of rod-cone degeneration. C19orf44 is expressed in various human tissues, including the retina, where it was found in the outer nuclear layer and in the outer plexiform layer. In cultured cells (hTERT RPE-1 and HeLa) and in human primary fibroblasts, C19orf44 is found in the nucleus, and it is downregulated during mitosis.

conclusionBased on our results, C19orf44 is crucial for normal human retinal function, and pathogenic variants in this gene are associated with autosomal recessive inherited retinal disease.

Indexed as

Retinal DegenerationRetinal DystrophiesAdultAgedAllelesAtrophyElectroretinographyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMutationPedigreePhenotypeRetinaTomography, Optical CoherenceC19orf44Chorioretinal atrophyInherited retinal diseaseRetina

Identifiers

PMID40079362
PMCPMC12284815

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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.