The CCDC18 Knockout hTERT-RPE1 Polyclonal Cells are a CRISPR/Cas9-edited polyclonal knockout cell population derived from hTERT-RPE1 human retinal pigment epithelial cells. This product contains a heterogeneous mixture of cells with targeted disruption of CCDC18, enabling loss-of-function studies in a non-transformed, ciliated epithelial background. The polyclonal format recapitulates genetic diversity and is suitable for bulk assays where averaging across knockout variants reveals robust phenotypic changes without requiring clonal isolation.
The hTERT-RPE1 host cell line is a widely utilized human retinal pigment epithelial model immortalized through telomerase expression, retaining key features of primary RPE cells such as a stable near-diploid karyotype, ciliated epithelial monolayer formation, and physiological functions including phagocytosis, blood-retinal barrier maintenance, and visual cycle support. This non-transformed line??s capacity for primary cilia assembly and epithelial polarity makes it ideal for centrosome and cilia-dependent signaling studies.
CCDC18 encodes a coiled-coil domain-containing protein that localizes to centrosomes and is critical for centriole duplication and primary cilium assembly. It interacts with CEP135, CPAP, and SAS-6, and is activated downstream of CDK2 and PLK4, functioning alongside STIL to orchestrate centriole biogenesis. Disruption of CCDC18 causes centrosome aberrations and impaired ciliogenesis, affecting microtubule organization and cell cycle progression.
In hTERT-RPE1 cells, CCDC18 knockout provides a loss-of-function model to study centriole biogenesis and ciliogenesis in a physiologically relevant ciliated epithelial context. Given the sensitivity of RPE cells to centrosome and cilium defects, this model is valuable for ciliopathy research, including microcephaly and retinal degenerative disorders. It also enables exploration of centrosome abnormalities in epithelial cell cycle regulation and transformation, connecting fundamental biology to cancer mechanisms.
Researchers can utilize these cells in immunofluorescence assays for centriolar markers (??-tubulin, centrin) and cilia staining (acetylated ??-tubulin) to assess centriole and ciliary phenotypes. Functional studies may include proliferation assays, flow cytometry for cell cycle analysis, and Western blotting for cell cycle regulators. This product serves as a versatile tool for ciliopathy disease modeling, centrosome biology, epithelial polarity studies, and cancer cell cycle research. Contact Ascent Research for further information.
