A Druggable Genome Screen Identifies Modifiers of α-Synuclein Levels via a Tiered Cross-Species Validation Approach

Abstract

Accumulation of α-Synuclein (α-Syn) causes Parkinson's disease (PD) as well as other synucleopathies. α-Syn is the major component of Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites, the proteinaceous aggregates that are a hallmark of sporadic PD. In familial forms of PD, mutations or copy number variations in <i>SNCA</i> (the α-Syn gene) result in a net increase of its protein levels. Furthermore, common risk variants tied to PD are associated with small increases of <i>wild-type</i> α-Syn levels. These findings are further bolstered by animal studies which show that overexpression of α-Syn is sufficient to cause PD-like features. Thus, increased α-Syn levels are intrinsically tied to PD pathogenesis and underscore the importance of identifying the factors that regulate its levels. In this study, we establish a pooled RNAi screening approach and validation pipeline to probe the druggable genome for modifiers of α-Syn levels and identify 60 promising targets. Using a cross-species, tiered validation approach, we validate six strong candidates that modulate α-Syn levels and toxicity in cell lines, <i>Drosophila</i>, human neurons, and mouse brain of both sexes. More broadly, this genetic strategy and validation pipeline can be applied for the identification of therapeutic targets for disorders driven by dosage-sensitive proteins.<b>SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT</b> We present a research strategy for the systematic identification and validation of genes modulating the levels of α-Synuclein, a protein involved in Parkinson's disease. A cell-based screen of the druggable genome (>7,500 genes that are potential therapeutic targets) yielded many modulators of α-Synuclein that were subsequently confirmed and validated in <i>Drosophila</i>, human neurons, and mouse brain. This approach has broad applicability to the multitude of neurological diseases that are caused by mutations in genes whose dosage is critical for brain function.