Target sequencing of 307 deafness genes identifies candidate genes implicated in microtia.

Microtia is a congenital malformation of the external ear caused by genetic and/or environmental factors. However, no causal genetic mutations have been identified in isolated microtia patients. In this study, we utilized targeted genomic capturing combined with next-generation sequencing to screen for mutations in 307 deafness genes in 32 microtia patients. Forty-two rare heterozygous mutations in 25 genes, including 22 novel mutations in 24 isolated unilateral microtia cases were identified. Pathway analysis found five pathways especially focal adhesion pathway and ECM-receptor interaction pathway were significantly associated with microtia. The low-frequency variants association study was used and highlighted several strong candidate genes , and for microtia ( = 2.51 × 10). Among these genes, and may lead to microtia through focal adhesion pathway and ECM-receptor interaction pathway which are connected to the downstream signaling pathway. The present results indicate that certain genes may affect both external/middle and inner ear development, and demonstrate the benefits of using a capture array in microtia patients.