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Genetics Home Reference: your guide to understanding genetic conditions
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STRC

Reviewed April 2010

What is the official name of the STRC gene?

The official name of this gene is “stereocilin.”

STRC is the gene's official symbol. The STRC gene is also known by other names, listed below.

What is the normal function of the STRC gene?

The STRC gene provides instructions for making a protein called stereocilin. This protein is found in the inner ear and may be involved in hearing. Hearing requires the conversion of sound waves to nerve impulses that are transmitted via the auditory nerve to the brain. Stereocilin may play a role in this conversion process. Studies indicate that stereocilin is associated with hair-like structures called stereocilia. Stereocilia project from specialized cells called hair cells and bend in response to sound waves. This bending motion triggers a series of reactions that generate a nerve impulse. Although the exact function of the stereocilin protein is unknown, it appears to be important for normal hearing.

How are changes in the STRC gene related to health conditions?

nonsyndromic deafness - caused by mutations in the STRC gene

Researchers have identified a few STRC gene mutations that cause a form of nonsyndromic deafness (hearing loss without related symptoms affecting other parts of the body) called DFNB16. These mutations add a small amount of DNA to the STRC gene or delete DNA from the gene. These changes probably result in an abnormal version of the stereocilin protein. The presence of the abnormal protein could impair the function of the stereocilia, leading to hearing loss.

sensorineural deafness and male infertility - associated with the STRC gene

The symptoms of sensorineural deafness and male infertility are caused by a deletion of genetic material on the long (q) arm of chromosome 15. The chromosomal region that is typically deleted contains multiple genes, including the STRC gene. People with this condition have the deletion in both copies of chromosome 15 in each cell. As a result of the deletion, affected individuals are missing both copies of the STRC gene, and no stereocilin protein is produced. A lack of stereocilin likely interferes with the normal function of stereocilia and impairs how these structures respond to sound waves, resulting in hearing loss.

Where is the STRC gene located?

Cytogenetic Location: 15q15.3

Molecular Location on chromosome 15: base pairs 43,891,760 to 43,910,997

The STRC gene is located on the long (q) arm of chromosome 15 at position 15.3.

The STRC gene is located on the long (q) arm of chromosome 15 at position 15.3.

More precisely, the STRC gene is located from base pair 43,891,760 to base pair 43,910,997 on chromosome 15.

See How do geneticists indicate the location of a gene? (http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/howgeneswork/genelocation) in the Handbook.

Where can I find additional information about STRC?

You and your healthcare professional may find the following resources about STRC helpful.

  • Educational resources - Information pages

    • Biochemistry (5th edition, 2002): Hair Cells Use a Connected Bundle of Stereocilia to Detect Tiny Motions (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22542/)
    • Molecular Biology of the Cell (4th edition, 2002): Auditory Hair Cells Have to Last a Lifetime (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26868/)
    • Neuroscience (2nd edition, 2001): Hair Cells and the Mechanoelectrical Transduction of Sound Waves (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10867/)

  • Gene Reviews - Clinical summary

    • Gene Review: CATSPER-Related Male Infertility (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22925/)
    • Gene Review: Hereditary Hearing Loss and Deafness (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1434/)

  • Genetic Testing Registry - Repository of genetic test information

    • GTR: Genetic tests for STRC (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gtr/tests/?term=161497%5Bgeneid%5D)

You may also be interested in these resources, which are designed for genetics professionals and researchers.

  • PubMed - Recent literature (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((STRC%5BTIAB%5D)%20OR%20(stereocilin%5BTIAB%5D))%20OR%20(DFNB16%5BTIAB%5D)%20AND%20((Genes%5BMH%5D)%20OR%20(Genetic%20Phenomena%5BMH%5D))%20AND%20english%5Bla%5D%20AND%20human%5Bmh%5D%20AND%20%22last%203600%20days%22%5Bdp%5D)
  • OMIM - Genetic disorder catalog (http://omim.org/entry/606440)

  • Research Resources - Tools for researchers

    • Entrez Gene (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/161497)
    • GeneCards (http://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?id_type=entrezgene&id=161497)
    • Harvard Medical School Center for Hereditary Deafness (http://hearing.harvard.edu/db/genelist.htm)
    • HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (http://www.genenames.org/data/hgnc_data.php?hgnc_id=16035)
    • The Hereditary Hearing Loss Homepage (http://hereditaryhearingloss.org/)

What other names do people use for the STRC gene or gene products?

  • deafness, autosomal recessive 16
  • DFNB16
  • STRC_HUMAN

See How are genetic conditions and genes named? (http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/mutationsanddisorders/naming) in the Handbook.

What glossary definitions help with understanding STRC?

auditory ; auditory nerve ; autosomal ; autosomal recessive ; cell ; chromosome ; deletion ; DNA ; gene ; hair cells ; infertility ; protein ; recessive ; sensorineural

You may find definitions for these and many other terms in the Genetics Home Reference Glossary (http://www.ghr.nlm.nih.gov/glossary).

References

  • Entrez Gene (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/161497)
  • OMIM: STEREOCILIN (http://omim.org/entry/606440)
  • Petersen MB, Willems PJ. Non-syndromic, autosomal-recessive deafness. Clin Genet. 2006 May;69(5):371-92. Review. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16650073?dopt=Abstract)
  • Verpy E, Masmoudi S, Zwaenepoel I, Leibovici M, Hutchin TP, Del Castillo I, Nouaille S, Blanchard S, Lainé S, Popot JL, Moreno F, Mueller RF, Petit C. Mutations in a new gene encoding a protein of the hair bundle cause non-syndromic deafness at the DFNB16 locus. Nat Genet. 2001 Nov;29(3):345-9. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11687802?dopt=Abstract)
  • Zhang Y, Malekpour M, Al-Madani N, Kahrizi K, Zanganeh M, Lohr NJ, Mohseni M, Mojahedi F, Daneshi A, Najmabadi H, Smith RJ. Sensorineural deafness and male infertility: a contiguous gene deletion syndrome. J Med Genet. 2007 Apr;44(4):233-40. Epub 2006 Nov 10. Erratum in: J Med Genet. 2007 Aug;44(8):544. Lohr, Naomi J [added]. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17098888?dopt=Abstract)

 

The resources on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Users seeking information about a personal genetic disease, syndrome, or condition should consult with a qualified healthcare professional. See How can I find a genetics professional in my area? (http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/consult/findingprofessional) in the Handbook.

 
Reviewed: April 2010
Published: June 17, 2013