Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40923693›Full record

ArticleInvestigative ophthalmology & visual science2025

Genome-Wide Insights Into the Genes and Pathways Shaping Human Foveal Development: Redefining the Genetic Landscape of Foveal Hypoplasia.

Callum Hunt, Ha-Jun Yoon, Alvin Lirio, Kayesha Coley, Jun Wang, Nick Shrine, Jianming Shao, Gail D E Maconachie, Zhanhan Tu, Jonathan H Zippin and 12 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 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. Convergent re-evolution of CNS structures: focus on the fovea.Current opinion in genetics & development · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

22 authors.

Callum HuntThe University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, School of Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.
Ha-Jun YoonThe University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, School of Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.
Alvin LirioThe University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, School of Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.
Kayesha ColeyDepartment of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.
Jun WangDepartment of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States.
Nick ShrineDepartment of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.
Jianming ShaoDepartment of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States.
Gail D E MaconachieThe University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, School of Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.
Zhanhan TuThe University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, School of Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.
Jonathan H ZippinDepartment of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, United States.
Pirro G HysiSection of Ophthalmology, King's College London, United Kingdom.
Christopher J HammondSection of Ophthalmology, King's College London, United Kingdom.
Omar A MahrooMoorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Mariya MoosajeeMoorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Michel MichaelidesMoorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Andrew R WebsterMoorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Ala MoshiriDepartment of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, United States.
Rui ChenGavin Herbert Eye Institute - Center for Translational Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States.
Martin D TobinDepartment of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.
Chiara BatiniDepartment of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.
Mervyn G ThomasThe University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, School of Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.
UK Biobank Eye and Vision Consortium

Funding

GENETICS OF EARLY ONSET RETINAL DISEASESR01EY018571 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI RUI CHEN · 2008 to 2026
$7.2M
Molecular Basis of Human Visual System DisordersR01EY022356 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI RUI CHEN · 2012 to 2026
$6.1M
NEI UCI Center Core Grant for Vision ResearchP30EY034070 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI Vladimir Jivkov Kefalov · 2022 to 2026
$3.7M
NEI NIH HHS P30 EY034070NEI NIH HHS R01 EY018571NEI NIH HHS R01 EY022356Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: To define the genetic architecture of foveal morphology and explore its relevance to foveal hypoplasia (FH), a hallmark of developmental macular disorders. Methods: We applied deep-learning algorithms to quantify foveal pit depth from central optical coherence tomography (OCT) B-scans in 61,269 UK Biobank participants. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using REGENIE, adjusting for age, sex, height, and ancestry. Rare coding variants (frequency <1%) were analyzed in an exome-wide rare-variant association study (RVAS). Candidate genes were prioritized using integrative mapping; pathway, cross-ancestry, and genetic-correlation analyses were exploratory. Results: GWAS identified 126 sentinel variants, including 47 novel associations. Integrative mapping prioritized 129 putative causal genes, with 64 not previously implicated in foveal biology. Enriched pathways included retinoic acid metabolism (e.g., CYP26A1), photoreceptor differentiation (e.g., VSX2), extracellular matrix organization, and pigmentation. RVAS identified missense variants in ACTN3 and ESYT3 (P < 5 × 10-⁹) associated with FH features. Polygenic scores were predictive across African and South Asian ancestries. Overlap was observed with monogenic FH genes (TYR, OCA2, PAX6, AHR) and with genes underlying systemic diseases (COL11A1, KIF11, TUBB4B, PHYH). Re-examination of OCTs in affected individuals confirmed FH in select cases, including those with recurrent TUBB4B p.(Arg390Trp) variants. Conclusions: This is the first GWAS of human foveal morphology. Our findings redefine the genetic and biological framework underlying normal foveal development and foveal hypoplasia (FH). By linking common variation to rare monogenic disease, we establish a continuum model of FH with implications for future mechanistic and clinical investigation.

Indexed as

Eye AbnormalitiesEye Diseases, HereditaryFovea CentralisGenome-Wide Association StudyAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNystagmus, CongenitalPolymorphism, Single NucleotideTomography, Optical Coherence

Identifiers

PMID40923693
PMCPMC12425146

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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.