Mutations in GJB2, gene coding for connexin 26 (Cx26), and GJB6, gene coding for connexin 30 (Cx30), are the most common genetic defects causing non-syndromic hereditary hearing loss. We previously reported that overexpression of Cx26 completely rescues the hearing in a mouse model of human GJB6 null mutations. The results suggest that therapeutic agents up-regulating the expression of Cx26 may...

Mutations in PTPRQ are associated with deafness in humans due to defects of stereocilia in hair cells. Using whole exome sequencing, we identified responsible gene of family 1572 with autosomal recessively non-syndromic hearing loss (ARNSHL). We also used DNA from 74 familial patients with ARNSHL and 656 ethnically matched control chromosomes to perform extended variant analysis. We identified ...

BACKGROUND Hereditary hearing loss is one of the most common heterogeneous disorders, and genetic variants that can cause hearing loss have been identified in over sixty genes. Most of these hearing loss genes have been detected using classical genetic methods, typically starting with linkage analysis in large families with hereditary hearing loss. However, these classical strategies are not we...

BACKGROUND Deafness is the most common sensory disability in the world. Globally, mutations in GJB2 (connexin 26) have been shown to play a major role in non-syndromic deafness. Two other connexin genes, GJB6 (connexin 30) and GJA1 (connexin 43), have been implicated in hearing loss, but these genes have seldom been investigated in black Africans. We aimed to validate the utility of testing for...

Understanding the genetic basis of hearing loss is important because almost 50% of profound hearing loss are caused by genetic factors and more than 120 independent genes have been identified. In this review, after a brief explanation of some genetic terms (allele, heterozygosis, homozygosis, polymorphism, genotype and phenotype), classification of genetic hearing loss (syndromic versus nonsynd...

Background: Our research focuses on different dimensions of families of Turkmen population of Iran with two or more than two affected members. A complete clinical ear test was conducted on them. It was aimed to find families with the highest chance of hereditary hearing impairment among siblings and also existence of consanguinity among their parents. <em...