Functional mutation of SMAC/DIABLO, encoding a mitochondrial proapoptotic protein, causes human progressive hearing loss DFNA64

Am J Hum Genet. 2011 Jul 15;89(1):56-66. doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2011.05.027. Epub 2011 Jun 30.

Abstract

SMAC/DIABLO is a mitochondrial proapoptotic protein that is released from mitochondria during apoptosis and counters the inhibitory activities of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins, IAPs. By linkage analysis and candidate screening, we identified a heterozygous SMAC/DIABLO mutation, c.377C>T (p.Ser126Leu, refers to p.Ser71Leu in the mature protein) in a six-generation Chinese kindred characterized by dominant progressive nonsyndromic hearing loss, designated as DFNA64. SMAC/DIABLO is highly expressed in human embryonic ears and is enriched in the developing mouse inner-ear hair cells, suggesting it has a role in the development and homeostasis of hair cells. We used a functional study to demonstrate that the SMAC/DIABLO(S71L) mutant, while retaining the proapoptotic function, triggers significant degradation of both wild-type and mutant SMAC/DIABLO and renders host mitochondria susceptible to calcium-induced loss of the membrane potential. Our work identifies DFNA64 as the human genetic disorder associated with SMAC/DIABLO malfunction and suggests that mutant SMAC/DIABLO(S71L) might cause mitochondrial dysfunction.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age of Onset
  • Aged
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / genetics*
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Asian People
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Down-Regulation
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Genetic Linkage
  • HeLa Cells
  • Hearing Loss / genetics*
  • Hearing Loss / pathology
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics*
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism
  • Male
  • Membrane Potentials / genetics
  • Mice
  • Middle Aged
  • Mitochondrial Proteins / genetics*
  • Mitochondrial Proteins / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
  • Mutation, Missense*
  • Pedigree
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Up-Regulation
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • DIABLO protein, human
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Mitochondrial Proteins
  • RNA, Small Interfering