# CRISPR screen: MYC-transformed cells depend on TIMM17A because MYC suppresses its paralog TIMM17B

- Published: 2026-11-07 20:00 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- Tags: MYC-amplified cancers, TIMM17A dependency, TIMM17B suppression, paralog dependency, TIM23 protein import complex, genome-scale CRISPR screen, N-acetylaspartate rescue, mitochondrial translocase
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-69500b852ae62cb41e5af7c1_crispr_screen_myc/

**In an isogenic cell system and MYC-amplified cell lines, TIMM17A proved essential for survival; N-acetylaspartate supplementation removed the dependency.**

![CRISPR screen: MYC-transformed cells depend on TIMM17A because MYC suppresses its paralog TIMM17B](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/9f9f71fbfa510581.jpg)
*Diane A. Reid (Photographer), Wikimedia Commons, Public domain*

Researchers reported in Science Advances a genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 screen in an isogenic cell system in which transformation is driven by oncogenic MYC. The aim was to find genes and pathways required for survival of MYC-amplified cancers. The mitochondrial membrane translocase TIMM17A was uniquely essential for the survival of MYC-transformed cells [1].

According to the authors, the dependency arises because MYC suppresses TIMM17B, the paralog of TIMM17A. TIMM17A/B is an essential component of the TIM23 mitochondrial protein import complex, so with TIMM17B suppressed, cells rely strongly on TIMM17A [1].

Supplementation with N-acetylaspartate rescued TIMM17A dependency in MYC-amplified cell lines, which points to the role of this metabolite in the fitness of such cells. The authors describe this as a paralog dependency required for the survival of a subset of MYC-driven cancers [1]. The work was done in cell models.

## Sources

1. [Science Advances](https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aej2662)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-69500b852ae62cb41e5af7c1_crispr_screen_myc/