Genome-scale expression studies and comprehensive loss-of-function genetic screens have focused almost exclusively on the highest confidence candidate genes. Here, we describe a strategy for characterizing the lower confidence candidates identified by such approaches. We interrogated 177 genes that we classified as essential for the proliferation of cancer cells exhibiting constitutive β-catenin activity and integrated data for each of the candidates, derived from orthogonal short hairpin RNA (shRNA) knockdown and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9-mediated gene editing knockout screens, to yield 69 validated genes. We then characterized the relationships between sets of these genes using complementary assays: medium-throughput stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC)-based mass spectrometry, yielding 3,639 protein-protein interactions, and a CRISPR-mediated pairwise double knockout screen, yielding 375 combinations exhibiting greater- or lesser-than-additive phenotypic effects indicating genetic interactions. These studies identify previously unreported regulators of β-catenin, define functional networks required for the survival of β-catenin-active cancers, and provide an experimental strategy that may be applied to define other signaling networks.

The development of next-generation antimalarials that are efficacious against the human liver and asexual blood stages is recognized as one of the worlds most pressing public health challenges. In recent years, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, including prolyl-tRNA synthetase, have emerged as attractive targets for malaria chemotherapy. We describe the development of a single-step biochemical assay for Plasmodium and human prolyl-tRNA synthetases that overcomes critical limitations of existing technologies and enables quantitative inhibitor profiling with high sensitivity and flexibility. Supported by this assay platform and co-crystal structures of representative inhibitor-target complexes, we develop a set of high-affinity prolyl-tRNA synthetase inhibitors, including previously elusive aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase triple-site ligands that simultaneously engage all three substrate-binding pockets. Several compounds exhibit potent dual-stage activity against Plasmodium parasites and display good cellular host selectivity. Our data inform the inhibitor requirements to overcome existing resistance mechanisms and establish a path for rational development of prolyl-tRNA synthetase-targeted anti-malarial therapies.