A dominant mutation in the stereocilia-expressing gene TBC1D24 is a probable cause for nonsyndromic hearing impairment.

Mutations in TBC1D24 have been linked to a variety of epileptic syndromes and recently to syndromic hearing impairment DOORS syndrome and nonsyndromic hearing impairment DFNB86. All TBC1D24 mutations reported so far were inherited in the recessive mode. In a dominant family segregated with late-onset, progressive, nonsyndromic hearing impairment, linkage analysis revealed a 2.07 Mb candidate region on chromosome 16p13.3 that contains TBC1D24. Whole-exome sequencing identified a heterozygous p.Ser178Leu variant of TBC1D24 as the only candidate mutation segregating with the hearing loss within the family. In perinatal mouse cochlea, we detected a restricted expression of Tbc1d24 in the stereocilia of the hair cells as well as in the spiral ganglion neurons. Our study suggested that the p.Ser178Leu mutation of TBC1D24 is a probable cause for dominant, nonsyndromic hearing impairment. Identification of TBC1D24 as the stereocilia-expressing gene may shed new light on its specific function in the inner ear.

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