Espin Like Protein (ESPNL)

ESPNL, Contains 9 ANK repeats. The ankyrin repeat is a 33-residue motif in proteins consisting of two alpha helices separated by loops, first discovered in signaling proteins in yeast Cdc10 and Drosophila Notch. Ankyrin repeats mediate protein-protein interactions and are among the most common structural motifs in known proteins.

ESPN encodes a multifunctional actin-bundling protein. It plays a major role in regulating the organization, dimensions, dynamics, and signaling capacities of the actin filament-rich, microvillus-type specializations that mediate sensory transduction in various mechanosensory and chemosensory cells. Mutations in this gene are associated with autosomal recessive neurosensory deafness, and autosomal dominant sensorineural deafness without vestibular involvement.