Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41765865›Full record

ArticleGenetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics2026

De novo rare EMX2 variants lead to idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.

Maria Stamou, Miranda Tompkins, Hannah Bow, Jessica Kearney, Maleeha Akram, Harrison Brand, Xuefang Zhao, Shadi Zaheri, Neoklis A Georgopoulos, Odelia Chorin and 10 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

20 authors.

Maria StamouReproductive Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Center for Reproductive Medicine, Boston, MA. Electronic address: mstamou@mgh.harvard.edu.
Miranda TompkinsCellular and Developmental Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Hannah BowCellular and Developmental Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Jessica KearneyCellular and Developmental Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Maleeha AkramCellular and Developmental Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Harrison BrandCenter for Genomic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.
Xuefang ZhaoCenter for Genomic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.
Shadi ZaheriCenter for Genomic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.
Neoklis A GeorgopoulosDivision of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece.
Odelia ChorinThe Danek Gertner Institute of Human Genetics and the Institute of Rare Diseases, The Lily and Edmond Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel; Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Yulia KhavkinThe Genomics Unit, Sheba Cancer Research Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
Tal KedarPediatric Endocrine and Diabetes Unit, Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel.
Margaret F LippincottReproductive Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Center for Reproductive Medicine, Boston, MA.
Lacey PlummerReproductive Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Center for Reproductive Medicine, Boston, MA.
Michael TalkowskiCenter for Genomic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.
Yiping ShenDivision of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA.
Doris K WuNational Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Ravikumar BalasubramanianReproductive Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Center for Reproductive Medicine, Boston, MA.
Susan WrayCellular and Developmental Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Stephanie B SeminaraReproductive Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Center for Reproductive Medicine, Boston, MA.

Funding

Development And Regulation Of The Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone SystemZIANS002824 · NINDS · NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE · PI WRAY, SUSAN · 2009 to 2025
$41.2M
Molecular Basis For The Morphogenesis Of The Inner EarZIADC000021 · NIDCD · NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS · PI WU, DORIS · 2009 to 2025
$33.2M
The Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Center for Reproductive MedicineP50HD104224 · NICHD · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI TALKOWSKI, MICHAEL E · 2021 to 2025
$7.8M
Towards Curative Therapies for Hypogonadotropic DiseasesR37HD043341 · NICHD · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI Stephanie Beth Seminara · 2020 to 2026
$5.8M
Dissection of the Molecular Basis of Pleiotropy Between GnRH Neuronal Development and Cranial Suture FusionR01DE031452 · NIDCR · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI Erica Ellen Davis, Stephanie Beth Seminara · 2022 to 2026
$3.9M
Integrative Approaches to Decipher Genetic Determinants of Disease Penetrance in Prokineticin 2 Pathway Related Human Reproductive DisordersR01HD096324 · NICHD · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI BALASUBRAMANIAN, RAVIKUMAR · 2018 to 2022
$1.7M
Elucidating the Role of the FGFR1 Signaling Pathway in the Intersection of Reproduction and MetabolismK23HD117006 · NICHD · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI Maria Stamou · 2025 to 2026
$341k
Deciphering the Role of Copy Number Variants in Neuroendocrine Disorders of InfertilityF32HD108873 · NICHD · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI STAMOU, MARIA · 2022 to 2024
$233k
FDA HHS R01 FD007843Intramural NIH HHS ZIA DC000021Intramural NIH HHS ZIA NS002824NICHD NIH HHS F32 HD108873NICHD NIH HHS K23 HD117006NICHD NIH HHS P50 HD104224NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD096324NICHD NIH HHS R37 HD043341NIDCR NIH HHS R01 DE031452
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe genetic etiology of infertility remains unknown. To identify genes for human infertility, we applied a de novo variant analysis in 142 parent-proband trios with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH), an infertility disorder caused by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) deficiency.

methodsRare de novo copy-number and single-nucleotide variants (CNVs and SNVs) were called from exome sequencing data of the IHH trios. An association study of common EMX2 variants and disease outcomes was performed in the Massachusetts General Brigham Biobank (N = 65,253). GnRH neuronal development and migration was studied in organotypic explants with knocked down of Emx2 and in a mouse model lacking Emx2.

resultsWe identified that the gene EMX2 harbored both rare de novo CNVs and SNVs. Rare de novo EMX2 variants led to IHH, developmental delay, and hearing loss. Common EMX2 variants were linked to infertility, Parkinson disease, and hearing loss. Knockdown of Emx2 in nasal explants resulted in attenuated GnRH cell migration and GnRH cells were confined to nasal regions of Emx2 knockout (KO) mice, consistent with IHH pathogenesis.

conclusionBy utilizing a de novo variant analysis and cellular assays, EMX2 was uncovered as a gene for human infertility.

Indexed as

Homeodomain ProteinsHypogonadismTranscription FactorsAdultAnimalsDNA Copy Number VariationsEmpty Spiracles Homeobox ProteinsExome SequencingFemaleGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseGonadotropin-Releasing HormoneHumansMaleMiceMice, KnockoutPolymorphism, Single NucleotideEmpty Spiracles Homeobox ProteinsGonadotropin-Releasing HormoneHomeodomain ProteinsTranscription FactorsDevelopmental delayEMX2GnRHHearing lossInfertility

Identifiers

PMID41765865
PMCPMC12950952

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
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 Socratic graph.