Non-syndromic hearing loss caused by the dominant cis mutation R75Q with the recessive mutation V37I of the GJB2 (Connexin 26) gene

GJB2 alleles containing two cis mutations have been rarely found in non-syndromic hearing loss. Herein, we present a Korean patient with non-syndromic hearing loss caused by the R75Q cis mutation with V37I, which arose de novo in the father and was inherited by the patient. Biochemical coupling and hemichannel permeability assays were performed after molecular cloning and transfection of HEK293T cells. Student's t-tests or analysis of variance followed by Tukey's multiple comparison test was used as statistical analysis. Biochemical coupling was significantly reduced in connexin 26 (Cx26)-R75Q- and Cx26-V37I-transfected cells, with greater extent in Cx26-R75Q and Cx26-R75Q+V37I cells. Interestingly, our patient and his father with the mutations had more residual hearing compared with patients with the dominant mutation alone. Although the difference in hemichannel activity between R75Q alone and R75Q in combination with V37I failed to reach significance, it is of note that there is a possibility that V37I located upstream of R75Q might have the ability to ameliorate R75Q expression. Our study emphasizes the importance of cis mutations with R75Q, as the gene effect of R75Q can be modulated depending on the type of additional mutation.

Importância do gene conexina 26 na etiologia da deficiência auditiva sensorioneural não-sindrômica / Role of connexin 26 gen in etiology of non-syndromic sensorioneral hearing loss

Cerca de 60 por cento de todas as causas de surdez pré-lingual podem ser atribuídas a fatores genéticos. A análise molecular do gene conexina 26, para a identificação da mutação que ocasiona a deficiência auditiva sensorioneural não-sindrômica, têm extrema relevância para o diagnóstico precoce, tratamento adequado e para a implantação de programas de prevenção.

A simple RT-PCR-based strategy for screening connexin identity

Vertebrate gap junctions are aggregates of transmembrane channels which are composed of connexin (Cx) proteins encoded by at least fourteen distinct genes in mammals. Since the same Cx type can be expressed in different tissues and more than one Cx type can be expressed by the same cell, the thorough identification of which connexin is in which cell type and how connexin expression changes after experimental manipulation has become quite laborious. Here we describe an efficient, rapid and simple method by which connexin type(s) can be identified in mammalian tissue and cultured cells using endonuclease cleavage of RT-PCR products generated from "multi primers" (sense primer, degenerate oligonucleotide corresponding to a region of the first extracellular domain; antisense primer, degenerate oligonucleotide complementary to the second extracellular domain) that amplify the cytoplasmic loop regions of all known connexins except Cx36. In addition, we provide sequence information on RT-PCR primers used in our laboratory to screen individual connexins and predictions of extension of the "multi primer" method to several human connexins