MYO15A
MYO15A (myosin XVA, also known as DFNB3 or MYO15) is an unconventional, actin-based myosin motor with ATPase activity. It is required for the arrangement of stereocilia in mature hair bundles, and mutations in the MYO15A gene are linked to congenital deafness. Browse Assay Genie's current range of MYO15A research reagents below, or read on for the biology behind the target.
MYO15A belongs to the myosin family within the TRAFAC class myosin-kinesin ATPase superfamily. Myosins are actin-based motor molecules with ATPase activity, and unconventional myosins such as MYO15A serve in intracellular movements. Their highly divergent tails are presumed to bind to membranous compartments, which would then be moved relative to actin filaments. MYO15A is required for the arrangement of stereocilia in mature hair bundles, and the protein is found in the stereocilium and the cytoskeleton.
The MYO15A gene encodes an unconventional myosin that differs from other myosins in having a long N-terminal extension preceding the conserved motor domain. HGNC places it in the class XV myosin heavy chain group, and also among FERM domain containing and SH3 domain containing proteins. The MYO15A protein is therefore a large, multi-domain motor rather than a classical muscle-type myosin. Several alternatively spliced transcript variants have been described, although their full-length sequences have not been determined. Read-through transcripts that combine an upstream gene with this gene have also been identified, but they are not thought to encode a fusion protein.
Studies in mice suggest that MYO15A is necessary for actin organisation in the hair cells of the cochlea. Mutations in the gene have been associated with profound, congenital, neurosensory, nonsyndromal deafness, which explains the alias DFNB3. The gene lies within the Smith-Magenis syndrome region of chromosome 17. These links make MYO15A a useful subject for work on hearing, hair-bundle architecture and actin-based motor function. The mouse ortholog is Myo15a.
Mutations in MYO15A are associated with profound, congenital, neurosensory, nonsyndromal deafness, making it a key gene in studies of inherited hearing loss.
MYO15A is required for the arrangement of stereocilia in mature hair bundles, so it is studied in hair-bundle organisation.
Mouse studies suggest MYO15A is necessary for actin organisation in cochlear hair cells, supporting work on cytoskeletal structure in the inner ear.
With its long N-terminal extension and divergent tail, MYO15A is a distinctive example for comparing actin-based intracellular transport among myosins.
MYO15A is an unconventional myosin, an actin-based motor with ATPase activity. Its divergent tail is presumed to bind membranous compartments that are moved relative to actin filaments. It is required for the arrangement of stereocilia in mature hair bundles of the inner ear.
MYO15A is also called myosin XVA and unconventional myosin-XV. Its aliases include DFNB3 and MYO15. The DFNB3 name reflects the link between the gene and recessive nonsyndromal deafness. Several alternatively spliced transcript variants have been described for the gene.
Mutations in MYO15A are associated with profound, congenital, neurosensory, nonsyndromal deafness. The gene sits within the Smith-Magenis syndrome region of chromosome 17. Mouse Myo15a is the ortholog, and mouse studies point to a role in cochlear hair-cell actin organisation. Check the datasheet of any product for its validated reactivity.
Other unconventional myosins and myosin heavy chain targets with products at Assay Genie.
Gene and protein annotations from HGNC, NCBI Gene and UniProt Q9UKN7; product specifications from Assay Genie datasheets.