SCN10A and familial nephrotic syndrome: By using this assay as well as other approaches, two key genes were identified: sns and duf. Mutations in human homologs of sns cause congenital nephrotic syndrome (Kestilä et al., 1998), whereas loss of the duf homolog in mice disrupts the slit diaphragm and causes nephrotic syndrome at birth (Donoviel et al., 2001; Liu et al., 2003).