SLC26A5: Proteins and Enzymes

SLC26A5 is a member of the SLC26A/SulP transporter family. It encodes a protein that is specifically expressed in outer hair cells (OHCs) of the cochlea and is essential in auditory processing. Intracellular anions are thought to act as extrinsic voltage sensors, which bind to this protein and trigger the conformational changes required for rapid length changes in OHCs. Mutations in this gene have been associated with non-syndromic hearing loss. Alternate transcriptional splice variants, encoding different isoforms, have been characterized.