the product of a candidate gene for an autosomal recessive form of deafness. It is predicted to be a secreted glycoprotein (2910 amino acids) that, like α-tectorin, is specific to acellular membranes of the inner ear. It consists of a central region that is rich in threonine, serine, and proline residues, flanked on the N-terminal side by four vWF domains, and on the C-terminal side by several vWF-like domains.