Identification of SLC45A4 as a pain gene encoding a neuronal polyamine transporter

Polyamines are regulatory metabolites with key roles in transcription, translation, cell signalling and autophagy¹. They are implicated in multiple neurological disorders including stroke, epilepsy and neurodegeneration and can regulate neuronal excitability through interactions with ion channels². Polyamines have been linked to pain showing altered levels in human persistent pain states and modulation of pain behaviour in animal models³. However, the systems governing polyamine transport within the nervous system remain unclear. In undertaking a Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) of chronic pain intensity in the UK-Biobank we found significant association with variants mapping to the SLC45A4 gene locus. In the mouse nervous system SLC45A4 expression is enriched in all sensory neuron sub-types within the dorsal root ganglion including nociceptors. Cell-based assays show that SLC45A4 is a selective plasma membrane polyamine transporter, whilst the cryo-EM structure reveals a novel regulatory domain and basis for polyamine recognition. Mice lacking SLC45A4 show normal mechanosensitivity but reduced sensitivity to noxious heat and algogen induced tonic pain that is associated with reduced excitability of peptidergic nociceptors. Our findings thus establish a role for neuronal polyamine transport in pain perception and identify a new target for therapeutic intervention in pain treatment.