Involved in hearing and vision as member of the USH2 complex. Necessary for elongation and maintenance of inner and outer hair cell stereocilia in the organ of Corti in the inner ear. Involved in the maintenance of the hair bundle ankle region, which connects stereocilia in cochlear hair cells of the inner ear. In retina photoreceptors, required for the maintenance of periciliary membrane complex that seems to play a role in regulating intracellular protein transport.
Subcellular locations: Cytoplasm, Cell projection, Stereocilium, Cell projection, Growth cone, Photoreceptor inner segment, Synapse
Detected at the level of stereocilia in inner and outer hair cells of the cochlea and vestibule. Localizes to both tip and ankle-link stereocilia regions. Colocalizes with the growing ends of actin filaments. Colocalizes with MPP1 in the retina, at the outer limiting membrane (OLM), outer plexifirm layer (OPL), basal bodies and at the connecting cilium (CC). In photoreceptors, localizes at a plasma membrane microdomain in the apical inner segment that surrounds the connecting cilia called periciliary membrane complex.