To this end, we made use of Vglut3 deficient mice that lack glutamate release from IHCs resulting in complete deafness, slowly progressing loss of IHC–SGN synapses but with relatively preserved synaptic contacts with SGN in 2 weeks old animals (Ruel et al., 2008; Seal et al., 2008). The gene discussed is SLC17A8; the disease is deafness.