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Prevalence and Evolutionary Origins of the del(GJB6-D13S1830) Mutation in the DFNB1 Locus in Hearing-Impaired Subjects: a Multicenter Study
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Prevalence and Evolutionary Origins of the del(GJB6-D13S1830) Mutation in the DFNB1 Locus in Hearing-Impaired Subjects: a Multicenter Study

Ignacio del Castillo, Miguel A Moreno-Pelayo, Francisco J del Castillo, Zippora Brownstein, Sandrine Marlin, Quint Adina, David J Cockburn, Arti Pandya, Kirby R Siemering, G. Parker Chamberlin, …
American journal of human genetics, Vol.73(6), pp.1452-1458
12/2003
DOI: 10.1086/380205
PMCID: PMC1180408
PMID: 14571368
url
https://doi.org/10.1086/380205View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Mutations in GJB2, the gene encoding connexin-26 at the DFNB1 locus on 13q12, are found in as many as 50% of subjects with autosomal recessive, nonsyndromic prelingual hearing impairment. However, genetic diagnosis is complicated by the fact that 10%–50% of affected subjects with GJB2 mutations carry only one mutant allele. Recently, a deletion truncating the GJB6 gene (encoding connexin-30), near GJB2 on 13q12, was shown to be the accompanying mutation in ∼50% of these deaf GJB2 heterozygotes in a cohort of Spanish patients, thus becoming second only to 35delG at GJB2 as the most frequent mutation causing prelingual hearing impairment in Spain. Here, we present data from a multicenter study in nine countries that shows that the deletion is present in most of the screened populations, with higher frequencies in France, Spain, and Israel, where the percentages of unexplained GJB2 heterozygotes fell to 16.0%–20.9% after screening for the del( GJB6 -D13S1830) mutation. Our results also suggest that additional mutations remain to be identified, either in DFNB1 or in other unlinked genes involved in epistatic interactions with GJB2 . Analysis of haplotypes associated with the deletion revealed a founder effect in Ashkenazi Jews and also suggested a common founder for countries in Western Europe. These results have important implications for the diagnosis and counseling of families with DFNB1 deafness.
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