CRISPR-Cas9 genetic screen leads to the discovery of L-Moses, a KAT2B inhibitor that attenuates Tunicamycin-mediated neuronal cell death
Summary
Accumulation of aggregated and misfolded proteins, leading to endoplasmic reticulum stress and activation of the unfolded protein response, is a hallmark of several neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Genetic screens are powerful tools that are proving invaluable in identifying novel modulators of disease associated processes. Here, we performed a loss-of-function genetic screen using a human druggable genome library, followed by an arrayed-screen validation, in human iPSC-derived cortical neurons. We identified and genetically validated 13 genes, whose knockout was neuroprotective against Tunicamycin, a glycoprotein synthesis inhibitor widely used to induce endoplasmic reticulum stress. We also demonstrated that pharmacological inhibition of KAT2B, a lysine acetyltransferase identified by our genetic screens, by L-Moses, attenuates Tunicamycin-mediated neuronal cell death and activation of CHOP, a key pro-apoptotic member of the unfolded protein response in both cortical and dopaminergic neurons. Follow-up transcriptional analysis suggested that L-Moses provided neuroprotection by partly reversing the transcriptional changes caused by Tunicamycin. Finally, L-Moses treatment attenuated total protein levels affected by Tunicamycin, without affecting their acetylation profile. In summary, using an unbiased approach, we identified KAT2B and its inhibitor, L-Moses, as potential therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases. © 2023. The Author(s).
| Authors | Pavlou S, Foskolou S, Patikas N, Field SF, Papachristou EK, Santos C, Edwards AR, Kishore K, Ansari R, Rajan SS, Fernandes HJR, Metzakopian E |
|---|---|
| Journal | Scientific reports |
| Publication Date | 2023 Mar 9;13(1):3934 |
| PubMed | 36894612 |
| PubMed Central | PMC9998435 |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41598-023-31141-6 |