Genetic screen for neuropathic pain study in importin alpha3 knock out mice

Here we show that importin alpha (α) 3 (KPNA4) controls pain responsiveness in peripheral sensory neurons. An importin α3 knockout mouse showed reduced responsiveness to noxious heat or chemical pain, as well as greater tolerance to neuropathic pain. Similar findings were obtained upon acute knockdown of importin α3 in peripheral sensory neurons. Transcriptome analyses and immunohistochemistry indicated that importin α 3 deficient neurons were impaired in nuclear import of c-Fos. Forty days after spared nerve injury acute down-regulation of importin α3, c-FOS, Jun and the dominat negative AAV9 viruses rescue the neuropathic pain phenotype. In silico screens identified importin α3 deficiency mimicking drug leads that attenuated neuropathic pain and reduced c-Fos nuclear localization. Hence, perturbing c-Fos nuclear import by importin α3 can provide analgesia at peripheral loci in the nervous system Treatments to combat neuropathic pain using the importin alpha3-cFOS signalling