The CBX8 Knockout Raji Polyclonal Cells are a CRISPR/Cas9-edited polyclonal population for loss-of-function studies of CBX8 in a human B-lymphocyte background. Derived from the Raji Burkitt’s lymphoma line, this heterogeneous knockout model enables investigation of CBX8 function without clonal bias. The polyclonal format preserves genetic diversity and is suited for bulk analyses in epigenetic and cancer research.
Raji cells are EBV-positive B lymphocytes originating from Burkitt’s lymphoma, widely used for studying humoral immunity and B-cell malignancies. They exhibit robust proliferation and are genetically tractable, making them a practical host for CRISPR-mediated gene disruption. This background is particularly relevant for exploring Polycomb complex dysregulation in lymphomagenesis.
CBX8 is a core PRC1 component that binds H3K27me3 via its chromodomain, mediating chromatin compaction and transcriptional repression of targets such as the INK4A/ARF locus (CDKN2A) and HOX genes. Upstream regulators include E2F1, MYC, and BMI1, while CBX8 interacts with RING1A/RING1B and PHC proteins within PRC1. Through silencing of CDKN2A and modulation of the p53 pathway, CBX8 promotes cell cycle progression and inhibits senescence. This positions CBX8 as a critical mediator of Polycomb-dependent gene silencing with implications for proliferation control.
In Raji cells, CBX8 knockout likely disrupts PRC1 repression, derepressing tumor suppressors such as p16INK4A and p14ARF, which may induce cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, or senescence. As Polycomb proteins are frequently dysregulated in B-cell lymphomas, this model provides a tool to examine CBX8’s role in maintaining the oncogenic phenotype and to test synthetic lethal interactions or epigenetic therapeutic strategies targeting PRC1.
Assay applications include ChIP-qPCR for H3K27me3, RT-qPCR/Western blotting for CDKN2A and HOX derepression, flow cytometry for cell cycle and apoptosis (Annexin V), proliferation assays (MTT/CFSE), and co-IP for PRC1 complex integrity. RNA-seq and synthetic lethality screens can further reveal lymphoma-specific dependencies. For additional information, please contact Ascent Research.
