Mouse models for human deafness have not only proven instrumental in the identification of genes for hereditary hearing loss, but are excellent model systems in which to examine gene function as well as the resulting pathophysiology. One mouse model for human nonsyndromic deafness is the deafness (dn) mouse, a spontaneous mutation in the curly-tail (ct) stock. The dn gene is on mouse Chromosome...

Inner ear hair cells convert the mechanical stimuli of sound, gravity, and head movement into electrical signals. This mechanotransduction process is initiated by opening of cation channels near the tips of hair cell stereocilia. Since the identity of these ion channels is unknown, and mutations in the gene encoding transmembrane channel-like 1 (TMC1) cause hearing loss without vestibular dysfu...

conclusions more studies are needed to investigate the relationship between other parts of this gene with hearing loss in different populations through the country. more research could clarify the role of this gene and its relation with deafness and provide essential information for the prevention and management of auditory disorders caused by genetic factors in the iranian population. backgrou...

Founder mutations, particularly 35delG in the GJB2 gene, have to a large extent contributed to the high frequency of autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss (ARNSHL). Mutations in transmembrane channel-like gene 1 (TMC1) cause ARNSHL. The p.R34X mutation is the most frequent known mutation in the TMC1 gene. To study the origin of this mutation and determine whether it arose in a common an...

Mutations in the transmembrane channel-like gene 1 (TMC1) can cause both DFNA36 and DFNB7/11 hearing loss. More than thirty DFNB7/11 mutations have been reported, but only three DFNA36 mutations were reported previously. In this study, we found a large Chinese family with 222 family members showing post-lingual, progressive sensorineural hearing loss which were consistent with DFNA36 hearing lo...

BACKGROUND Non-syndromic hearing loss (NSHL) is the most common birth defect and occurs in approximately 1/1,000 newborns. NSHL is a heterogeneous trait and can arise due to both genetic and environmental factors. Mutations of the transmembrane channel-like 1 (TMC1) gene cause non-syndromic deafness in humans and mice. OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to investigate the association...

Sensory transduction in auditory and vestibular hair cells requires expression of transmembrane channel-like (Tmc) 1 and 2 genes, but the function of these genes is unknown. To investigate the hypothesis that TMC1 and TMC2 proteins are components of the mechanosensitive ion channels that convert mechanical information into electrical signals, we recorded whole-cell and single-channel currents f...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Hearing impairment is a common and heterogeneous sensory disorder in humans. Among about 90 genes, which are known to be associated with hearing impairment, mutations in the GJB2 (gap junction protein beta 2) gene are the most prevalent in individuals with hereditary hearing loss. Contribution of the other deafness-causing genes is relatively poorly understood. Here, we ...

Hereditary nonsyndromic hearing loss is highly heterogeneous and most patients with a presumed genetic etiology lack a specific diagnosis. It has been estimated that several hundred genes may be associated with this sensory deficit in humans. Here, we identified compound heterozygous mutations in the TMC1 gene as the cause of recessively inherited sensorineural hearing loss by using whole-exome...

UNLABELLED The transduction of sound into electrical signals depends on mechanically sensitive ion channels in the stereociliary bundle. The molecular composition of this mechanoelectrical transducer (MET) channel is not yet known. Transmembrane channel-like protein isoforms 1 (TMC1) and 2 (TMC2) have been proposed to form part of the MET channel, although their exact roles are still unclear. U...