Genes underlying hereditary hearing impairment in humans and in mice.

Hearing impairment is a very common disease in the human population, with a high genetic contribution. Here we present a list of genes known to underlie hearing impairment when mutated in humans or in mice. Analysis of the pathways in which the encoded proteins are involved indicates the importance of different signalling pathways to the development and function of the inner ear. The gene list is also useful for identifying candidate genes from human studies such as GWAS or exome sequencing studies.