The CASZ1 Knockout HEK293T Polyclonal Cells product consists of a polyclonal population of HEK293T cells with CRISPR/Cas9-mediated disruption of the CASZ1 gene, generating a loss-of-function model for investigating CASZ1-dependent transcriptional regulation. This heterogeneous knockout pool preserves the parental line??s key properties while enabling functional studies in a human cellular context, making it a versatile tool for dissecting tumor suppressor pathways.
HEK293T is a human embryonic kidney epithelial cell line that stably expresses the SV40 large T antigen, conferring high transfection efficiency and robust capacity for recombinant protein expression and lentiviral packaging. Its epithelial origin and well-characterized signaling networks make it suitable for studying gene function in development and oncogenesis, providing a reliable platform for CRISPR-based knockout models.
CASZ1 encodes a zinc finger transcription factor that operates as a molecular switch in retinoic acid signaling. Upon retinoic acid stimulation, CASZ1 interacts with RAR/RXR nuclear receptors and recruits the NuRD corepressor complex, containing HDAC1, HDAC2, and MTA2, to repress downstream targets such as TWIST1 and BMI1. This repression upregulates CDKN1A, leading to cell cycle arrest and differentiation, while also modulating BCL2 family members to influence apoptosis. CASZ1 thereby integrates signals from retinoic acid to suppress tumorigenic programs and maintain cellular homeostasis.
In the HEK293T background, CASZ1 knockout abrogates its transcriptional repressive activity, relieving inhibition on pro-proliferative and anti-apoptotic targets. This effectively recapitulates aspects of neuroblastoma pathology, where CASZ1 frequently functions as a tumor suppressor. The polyclonal nature of the knockout population avoids clonal selection artifacts, offering a representative loss-of-function system for analyzing the interplay between retinoic acid and HDAC-mediated transcriptional control in a tractable cell model.
These polyclonal knockout cells can be employed in a wide range of assays, including western blotting for CASZ1 protein validation, RT-qPCR to measure derepression of TWIST1 and BMI1, and RNA-seq for global transcriptome profiling. ChIP-qPCR enables assessment of histone modifications and NuRD complex occupancy at target loci. Functional studies such as cell viability and Annexin V apoptosis assays facilitate drug sensitivity screens for retinoic acid derivatives or HDAC inhibitors. For additional product details or technical support, please contact Ascent Research.
