Myosin VIIa: Proteins and Enzymes

Myosin VIIa is a member of the myosin superfamily of actin-based motor proteins. Defects in the myosin VIIa gene are responsible for hearing impairment in shaker-1 (sh1) mice and causes Usher syndrome IB in humans. Usher syndrome associates congenital deafness, vestibular dysfunction, and retinitis pigmentosa and is the most common form of combined deafness and blindness. Structural features of myosin VIIa protein include an ATP binding N-terminal motor domain, a central region which possess five light-chain binding (IQ) motifs, and a C-terminal domain with three myosin tail homology (MyTH4) and talin-like homology regions.