COL4A5, the gene underlying X-linked Alport syndrome (AS (MIM: 301050)), maps to Xq22.3 and is well known to cause renal failure, sensorineural hearing loss and ocular abnormalities.2 However, mutations in COL4A5 do not account for the additional manifestations seen in AMME; this suggests that neighbouring genes of the Alport locus contribute to the rest of the phenotype. Here, COL4A5 is linked to kidney failure.