The CASP8AP2 Knockout HeLa Polyclonal Cells are a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene-disrupted polyclonal cell population derived from HeLa human cervical adenocarcinoma epithelial cells. This loss-of-function model provides a heterogeneous pool of CASP8AP2-deficient cells, enabling robust functional analyses of the FLASH scaffold protein. By disrupting CASP8AP2, this product facilitates the study of apoptosis regulation, histone mRNA processing, NF-??B signaling, and antiviral innate immunity without residual wild-type protein interference.
HeLa cells are an immortalized epithelial line originally isolated from a cervical adenocarcinoma and characterized by integrated HPV-18 genome sequences. Their transformed phenotype, sustained proliferation, and well-documented genetic background make them a standard model in cancer biology, signal transduction research, and virology. The polyclonal CASP8AP2 knockout population preserves these intrinsic properties while eliminating functional CASP8AP2 expression, allowing direct comparative studies with parental HeLa cells.
CASP8AP2 (FLASH) is a scaffold protein that facilitates caspase-8 activation via FADD downstream of death receptors, leading to caspase-3/7 cleavage in extrinsic apoptosis. It is also essential for histone pre-mRNA 3??-end processing, binding U7 snRNP and CPSF components. Additionally, CASP8AP2 modulates NF-??B signaling and antiviral responses, with its functions regulated by CDK2 and interferon pathways.
Within the HeLa cellular context, CASP8AP2 ablation provides a valuable model to investigate the intersection of apoptosis, cell cycle control, and histone metabolism. The presence of HPV-18 oncoproteins that inactivate p53 and Rb renders these cells particularly dependent on coordinated histone synthesis, making CASP8AP2 knockout a valuable tool for studying replication-coupled gene expression. Furthermore, loss of FLASH may sensitize these cancer cells to death receptor ligands, offering insights into mechanisms of drug resistance and apoptotic evasion.
This polyclonal knockout population is suited for apoptosis detection via Annexin V and TUNEL, caspase cleavage western blotting, NF-??B luciferase reporter assays, and histone mRNA processing analysis by RT-qPCR or RNA-seq. Flow cytometry for cell cycle profiling and antiviral innate immunity studies further broaden its utility. It is an adaptable platform for cancer biology, immunology, and drug development. Please contact Ascent Research for further information.
