The ABCA3 Knockout A-549 Polyclonal Cells are a CRISPR/Cas9-edited polyclonal knockout cell population targeting the ABCA3 gene in human A-549 cells. This loss-of-function model enables study of ABCA3 without wild-type interference. The polyclonal pool maintains genetic diversity for population-level assays and drug screens. Supplied as a validated knockout pool, cells are optimized for standard culture.
The A-549 cell line, derived from a 58-year-old Caucasian male lung adenocarcinoma, is a widely used model of alveolar type II epithelial cells. These cells exhibit surfactant production and lamellar body formation, relevant to pulmonary surfactant metabolism and lung cancer. Their susceptibility to CRISPR editing and retention of alveolar features make them suitable for ABCA3 knockout studies.
ABCA3 encodes an ATP-binding cassette transporter that hydrolyzes ATP to transport phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylglycerol into lamellar bodies, essential for pulmonary surfactant. Transcription factors TTF-1 (NKX2-1), FOXA2, and C/EBP??, along with glucocorticoid receptor signaling, regulate ABCA3. Interacting partners include SFTPB (SP-B), SFTPC (SP-C), myosin VI, and ABCA1. ABCA3 activity drives lamellar body biogenesis and modulates surfactant phospholipid composition, influencing SP-B and SP-C function and alveolar surface tension.
In A-549 adenocarcinoma cells, ABCA3 loss impairs lamellar body biogenesis and surfactant lipid trafficking, recapitulating features of surfactant dysfunction disorders, pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, and desquamative interstitial pneumonitis. As ABCA3 has been associated with drug resistance in lung cancer, this knockout model is valuable for dissecting transporter-mediated chemoresistance mechanisms and testing therapeutic interventions. The dual alveolar and tumorigenic characteristics of A-549 cells make this polyclonal population particularly versatile.
Research applications encompass Western blotting and RT-qPCR to confirm knockout and assess surfactant gene expression, immunofluorescence for lamellar body protein localization, Nile Red lipid staining, and ATPase activity assays. For oncology studies, drug sensitivity profiling and flow cytometry for ABCA3 surface levels can be performed. The polyclonal format supports high-throughput screening for compounds that restore surfactant metabolism or enhance drug sensitivity. Researchers investigating surfactant biology, lamellar body biogenesis, ABC transporter signaling, or lung cancer resistance will find this product essential. For further details, contact Ascent Research.
