The DBN1 Knockout Raji Polyclonal Cells are a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene-disrupted polyclonal cell population derived from the human Raji B lymphoblast line, engineered to ablate expression of the drebrin (DBN1) protein. This polyclonal knockout pool provides a heterogeneous loss-of-function model that avoids the clonal biases of single-cell-derived lines, facilitating robust population-level functional studies and screening applications.
The parental Raji cell line is an Epstein?CBarr virus (EBV)-positive B lymphoblast line derived from a Burkitt??s lymphoma patient. It is a widely used model for studying B cell receptor (BCR) signaling, antigen presentation, and adaptive immunity. Raji cells constitutively express surface IgM and co-stimulatory molecules, and they can form immunological synapses, making them an ideal platform for investigating early B cell activation events and their cytoskeletal regulation.
DBN1 encodes an actin-binding protein that plays a critical role in actin cytoskeletal dynamics. It operates downstream of the BCR, where receptor engagement activates a Syk?CVav?CRac1/Cdc42 signaling axis that leads to drebrin activation. Activated drebrin interacts with F-actin, profilin, the Arp2/3 complex, cortactin, and fascin to promote actin polymerization and branching, which are essential for BCR clustering, immune synapse formation, and cell adhesion mediated by LFA-1. DBN1 knockout disrupts these molecular interactions, impairing actin remodeling and subsequent cytoskeleton-dependent processes.
In Raji cells, loss of DBN1 attenuates BCR-induced phosphorylation of key proximal kinases such as Syk and PLC??2, reflecting compromised receptor clustering and signalosome assembly. This results in diminished cell migration, reduced adhesion, and incomplete maturation of the immunological synapse. These phenotypic defects are particularly relevant to B-cell lymphoma biology, where aberrant actin dynamics contribute to malignant cell motility and immune evasion. Consequently, this knockout model is a valuable resource for dissecting the role of cytoskeletal regulation in B-cell malignancies and for validating therapeutic targets within this pathway.
This polyclonal knockout cell product is suited for a wide range of experimental assays, including phospho-flow cytometry to measure BCR signaling strength, immunofluorescence imaging to visualize actin reorganization, quantitative cell migration and adhesion assays, and drug screening for actin-modulating compounds. Validation of DBN1 ablation can be performed by western blotting and RT-qPCR. For further technical information and ordering details, please contact Ascent Research.
