{"type": "root", "children": [{"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nThe studies provided focus on the critical role of the manchette protein IQ motif‐containing N (IQCN) in male fertility. In one investigation, the authors posed the question of how defects in IQCN affect sperm flagellar assembly, suggesting that IQCN is integral to the proper formation of specialized sperm structures needed for correct flagellar organization and subsequent function."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "1"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n\n"}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nA complementary study identified a homozygous frameshift variant in IQCN in a man suffering from unexplained infertility. Here, reduced levels of IQCN mRNA and undetectable protein were associated with abnormal sperm morphology and function, culminating in fertilization failure. The study was corroborated by an Iqcn knockout mouse model, underscoring the gene’s importance in sperm motility and fertilization, and establishing its autosomal-recessive mode of action in male infertility."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "2"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n\n"}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nAlthough the question initially asked for a summary of the function of MIR521-2, no direct information regarding MIR521-2 is provided in these abstracts. Instead, the reported findings delineate the essential function of IQCN in sperm structural integrity and fertilization. Future studies may explore whether microRNAs such as MIR521-2 play regulatory roles in IQCN expression or spermatogenesis, but based on the current data, the function of MIR521-2 remains to be elucidated.\n"}]}, {"type": "rg", "children": [{"type": "r", "ref": 1, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Qi Li, Yize Wang, Wei Zheng, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Biallelic variants in IQCN cause sperm flagellar assembly defects and male infertility."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Hum Reprod (2023)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1093/humrep/dead079"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dead079"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "37140151"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37140151"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 2, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Yulin Wang, Guoyong Chen, Zhenzhen Tang, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Loss-of-function mutations in IQCN cause male infertility in humans and mice owing to total fertilization failure."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Mol Hum Reprod (2023)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1093/molehr/gaad018"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1093/molehr/gaad018"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "37184908"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37184908"}]}]}]}