Karolyi I Jill, Probst Frank J, Beyer Lisa, Odeh Hana, Dootz Gary, Cha Kelly B, Martin Donna M, Avraham Karen B, Kohrman David, Dolan David F, Raphael Yehoash, Camper Sally A
Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0638, USA.
Hum Mol Genet. 2003 Nov 1;12(21):2797-805. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddg308. Epub 2003 Sep 9.
The unconventional myosin genes Myo15, Myo6 and Myo7a are essential for hearing in both humans and mice. Despite the expression of each gene in multiple organs, mutations result in identifiable phenotypes only in auditory or ocular sensory organs. The pirouette (pi) mouse also exhibits deafness and an inner ear pathology resembling that of Myo15 mutant mice and thus may be functionally related to Myo15. In order to investigate possible interactions between Myo15 and Myo6, Myo7a, and the gene affected in pirouette, we crossed Myo15(sh2/sh2) mice to the three other mutant mouse strains. Hearing in doubly heterozygous mice was similar to age-matched singly heterozygous animals, indicating that partial deficiency for both Myo15 and one of these other deafness genes does not reduce hearing. Viable double mutants were obtained from each cross, indicating that potential overlapping functions between these genes in other organs are not essential for viability. All critical cell types of the cochlear sensory epithelium were present in double mutant mice and cochlear stereocilia exhibited a superimposition of single mutant phenotypes. These data suggest that the function of Myo15 is distinct from that of Myo6, Myo7a or pi in development and/or maintenance of stereocilia.
非常规肌球蛋白基因Myo15、Myo6和Myo7a对人类和小鼠的听力都至关重要。尽管每个基因都在多个器官中表达,但突变仅在听觉或视觉感觉器官中导致可识别的表型。芭蕾鼠(pirouette,pi)也表现出耳聋以及类似于Myo15突变小鼠的内耳病理特征,因此可能在功能上与Myo15相关。为了研究Myo15与Myo6、Myo7a以及在芭蕾鼠中受影响的基因之间可能的相互作用,我们将Myo15(sh2/sh2)小鼠与其他三种突变小鼠品系进行杂交。双杂合小鼠的听力与年龄匹配的单杂合动物相似,这表明Myo15和这些其他耳聋基因之一的部分缺陷不会降低听力。从每个杂交组合中都获得了可存活的双突变体,这表明这些基因在其他器官中潜在的重叠功能对生存能力并非必不可少。双突变小鼠的耳蜗感觉上皮的所有关键细胞类型均存在,并且耳蜗静纤毛表现出单突变体表型的叠加。这些数据表明,在静纤毛的发育和/或维持过程中,Myo15的功能与Myo6、Myo7a或pi的功能不同。