1. Audioprofile-directed screening identifies novel mutations in KCNQ4 causing hearing loss at the DFNA2 locus.
- Author
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Hildebrand MS, Tack D, McMordie SJ, DeLuca A, Hur IA, Nishimura C, Huygen P, Casavant TL, and Smith RJ
- Subjects
- Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Base Sequence, Family, Hearing Loss genetics, Hearing Tests, Humans, KCNQ Potassium Channels chemistry, Sequence Alignment, Genes, Dominant, Hearing Loss, Sensorineural genetics, KCNQ Potassium Channels genetics, Software
- Abstract
Purpose: Gene identification in small families segregating autosomal dominant sensorineural hearing loss presents a significant challenge. To address this challenge, we have developed a machine learning-based software tool, AudioGene v2.0, to prioritize candidate genes for mutation screening based on audioprofiling., Methods: We analyzed audiometric data from a cohort of American families with high-frequency autosomal dominant sensorineural hearing loss. Those families predicted to have a DFNA2 audioprofile by AudioGene v2.0 were screened for mutations in the KCNQ4 gene., Results: Two novel missense mutations and a stop mutation were detected in three American families predicted to have DFNA2-related deafness for a positive predictive value of 6.3%. The false negative rate was 0%. The missense mutations were located in the channel pore region and the stop mutation was in transmembrane domain S5. The latter is the first DFNA2-causing stop mutation reported in KCNQ4., Conclusions: Our data suggest that the N-terminal end of the P-loop is crucial in maintaining the integrity of the KCNQ4 channel pore and AudioGene audioprofile analysis can effectively prioritize genes for mutation screening in small families segregating high-frequency autosomal dominant sensorineural hearing loss. AudioGene software will be made freely available to clinicians and researchers once it has been fully validated.
- Published
- 2008
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