Espin, also known as autosomal recessive deafness type 36 protein or ectoplasmic specialization protein, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ESPNgene.[5] Espin is a microfilament binding protein.
Espin is 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.[5]
Mutations in this gene are associated with autosomal recessive neurosensory deafness, autosomal dominant sensorineural deafness without vestibular involvement, and DFNB36.[5]
Boulouiz R, Li Y, Soualhine H, et al. (2008). "A novel mutation in the Espin gene causes autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss but no apparent vestibular dysfunction in a Moroccan family". Am. J. Med. Genet. A. 146A (23): 3086–9. doi:10.1002/ajmg.a.32525. PMID18973245. S2CID33443367.
Bartles JR, Wierda A, Zheng L (1996). "Identification and characterization of espin, an actin-binding protein localized to the F-actin-rich junctional plaques of Sertoli cell ectoplasmic specializations". J. Cell Sci. 109 (6): 1229–39. doi:10.1242/jcs.109.6.1229. PMID8799813.
