ClinVar

Description

The G216E variant in the POU3F4 gene has been reported previously in multiple individuals with X-linked hearing loss in a Chinese family (Li et al., 2010). The G216E variant was not observed in approximately 6,500 individuals of European and African American ancestry in the NHLBI Exome Sequencing Project, indicating it is not a common benign variant in these populations. The G216E variant is a non-conservative amino acid substitution, which is likely to impact secondary protein structure as these residues differ in polarity, charge, size and/or other properties. This substitution occurs at a position in the POU-specific domain which is important for protein-DNA interaction and is conserved across species (Li et al., 2010). In silico analysis predicts this variant is probably damaging to the protein structure/function. The G216E variant is a strong candidate for a pathogenic variant, which is likely consistent with the hearing loss reported in this individual and his brother. However, the possibility it may be a rare benign variant cannot be excluded.