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Audioprofile-directed screening identifies novel mutations in KCNQ4 causing hearing loss at the DFNA2 locus
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Audioprofile-directed screening identifies novel mutations in KCNQ4 causing hearing loss at the DFNA2 locus

Michael S Hildebrand, Dylan Tack, Sarah J McMordie, Adam DeLuca, In Ae Hur, Carla Nishimura, Patrick Huygen, Thomas L Casavant and Richard J H Smith
Genetics in medicine, Vol.10(11), pp.797-804
11/2008
DOI: 10.1097/GIM.0b013e318187e106
PMCID: PMC3337550
PMID: 18941426
url
https://doi.org/10.1097/GIM.0b013e318187e106View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

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.
KCNQ4 DFNA2 hearing loss AudioGene v2.0 Audioprofiling

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