GJB3 Gene

Definition:Gap junction protein, beta 3, 31kDa.

Official Symbol:GJB3

 Chromosome:1

 Location : 1p34

Gene Size:  5178 bp (35,019,377 to 35,024,554)


No Exons:

Description:

Gene is a member of the connexin gene family. The encoded protein is a component of gap junctions, which are composed of arrays of intercellular channels that provide a route for the diffusion of low molecular weight materials from cell to cell.Connexin 31 is found in several different tissues throughout the body, including the skin, the inner ear, and the nerve that connects the inner ear with the brain (the auditory nerve). Connexin 31 plays a role in the growth and maturation of the outermost layer of skin (the epidermis). The presence of this protein in the inner ear and auditory nerve suggests that it may be involved in hearing. Hearing requires the conversion of sound waves to electrical nerve impulses, which travel along the auditory nerve to the brain. The exact role of connexin 31 in the inner ear and auditory nerve is unclear.

Disease :

Mutations in this gene can cause non-syndromic deafness or erythrokeratodermia variabilis, a skin disorder. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding the same protein.

nonsyndromic deafness

    Researchers have identified a few GJB3 mutations in people with a form of nonsyndromic deafness (hearing loss without related signs and symptoms affecting other parts of the body) called DFNA2. DFNA2 deafness is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner, which means that one copy of the GJB3 gene in each cell is altered. A few GJB3 mutations have also been identified in people with autosomal recessive nonsyndromic deafness. This type of inheritance means that two copies of the GJB3 gene in each cell are altered. It is unclear, however, whether GJB3 mutations are the direct cause of hearing loss in individuals with either of these types of deafness.

    GJB3 mutations related to hearing loss alter the sequence of protein building blocks (amino acids) in connexin 31. Some mutations lead to missing amino acids in connexin 31, and other mutations replace one amino acid with an incorrect amino acid. These changes likely alter the 3-dimensional shape or size of connexin 31, which could disrupt the assembly or function of gap junctions. It is unclear how GJB3 mutations contribute to hearing loss.