- Mutation of the novel gene Tmie results in sensory cell defects in the inner ear of spinner, a mouse model of human hearing loss DFNB6. Mitchem, K.L., Hibbard, E., Beyer, L.A., Bosom, K., Dootz, G.A., Dolan, D.F., Johnson, K.R., Raphael, Y., Kohrman, D.C. Hum. Mol. Genet. (2002)