Fig. 3: Effect of KCNQ4 variants from the Korean population on voltage-gated channel activity.
From: Overlooked KCNQ4 variants augment the risk of hearing loss
a Detection rate of KCNQ4 variants in the combined Korean genomic data. Fourteen rare variants were found in 18 of 1392 control individuals with an unknown hearing loss phenotype (n = 18/1392; 1.29%). b Whole-cell currents recorded from HEK 293 cells overexpressing WT or mutant KCNQ4 proteins identified in the Korean general population. From a holding potential of −80 mV, currents were evoked by depolarizing voltage steps from −80 to 40 mV in 10 mV increments. c Current density measured at 40 mV. d Mean current-voltage (I-V) relationship. Trace representatives are the same as c, except for the WT colored black. The blue line indicates the current measured at a 0 mV test pulse. e Half-maximal voltages calculated by fitting the normalized conductance to the Boltzmann equation. The conductance was measured by calculating the magnitude of the tail currents at −50 mV after each voltage step. N/A, not available. f Normalized conductance-voltage (G/Gmax-V) relationship. The curves were fitted using the Boltzmann equation. Trace representatives are the same as e, except for the WT colored in black. Values are shown as the mean ± SEM. p values were calculated using one-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey’s post hoc test; ns, not significant; p < 0.05, *p < 0.01, **p < 0.001, ***p < 0.0001, ****.
