Recessive alleles of this gene are responsible for type 1C Usher syndrome and nonsyndromic deafness.
Research suggests that harmonin plays a role in the development and maintenance of hairlike projections called stereocilia.
This bending motion is critical for converting sound waves to nerve impulses, an essential process for normal hearing.
In the inner ear, protein complexes organized by harmonin probably act as connectors that link stereocilia into a bundle.
These cells detect and transfer light energy to the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (the retina).