The CENPU Knockout Raji Polyclonal Cells comprise a CRISPR/Cas9-edited polyclonal knockout population of human Raji B lymphocytes, generated through targeted disruption of the CENPU gene. This loss-of-function model facilitates investigations into kinetochore assembly and chromosome segregation within a hematopoietic context. The polyclonal nature reflects a mixed pool of edited cells, allowing population-level analyses without clonal selection artifacts.
Raji cells, originating from a Burkitt??s lymphoma patient, serve as a classic B lymphocyte line capable of antibody production and antigen presentation. Their transformed phenotype combined with retained immune functions makes them an ideal system for probing mitosis in lymphoid malignancies and for examining interplays between chromosomal instability and oncogenesis.
CENPU is an integral component of the CENP-O kinetochore complex, which orchestrates microtubule attachment and chromosome biorientation. It physically interacts with CENP-O, CENP-Q, CENP-R, CENP-W, and CENP-X, and its activity is regulated by the mitotic kinase CDK1 in complex with Cyclin B. CENPU functions upstream of mitotic spindle checkpoint components, and together with other kinetochore proteins such as CENP-A, CENP-B, CENP-C, CENP-H, CENP-I, CENP-M, CENP-N, CENP-T, and the NDC80 complex, it ensures faithful chromosome alignment and segregation. Disruption of CENPU compromises kinetochore integrity, leading to erroneous attachments and genomic instability.
In Raji B cells, CENPU knockout is predicted to induce mitotic errors and chromosomal instability, recapitulating features of aggressive lymphomas and other hematological cancers. The polyclonal population reflects tumor heterogeneity and enables the study of divergent cellular adaptations to CENPU loss. This model also offers a unique opportunity to explore how mitotic dysfunction might influence antigen presentation and immune surveillance.
This knockout product supports a wide range of applications, including cancer biology studies, cell cycle and mitosis research, chromosome segregation analyses, and validation of therapeutic candidates targeting the kinetochore or spindle checkpoint. Confirmatory assays such as Western blotting and RT-qPCR verify CENPU depletion, while immunofluorescence visualizes kinetochore mislocalization. Flow cytometry permits cell cycle profiling, and chromosome alignment assays directly assess mitotic fidelity. For further information or to request custom services, please contact Ascent Research.
