The DOCK11 Knockout K-562 Polyclonal Cells are a CRISPR/Cas9-edited polyclonal knockout cell population derived from the K-562 human chronic myelogenous leukemia cell line. This product features targeted disruption of the DOCK11 gene, which encodes a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for the small GTPase CDC42. The polyclonal knockout format provides a heterogeneous mixture of cells with diverse DOCK11 loss-of-function mutations, enabling robust loss-of-function studies without clonal selection artifacts.
K-562 is a well-established human hematopoietic cell line originally isolated from the pleural effusion of a 53-year-old female with chronic myelogenous leukemia in blast crisis. This suspension cell line displays features of multipotent blasts capable of differentiating into erythroid, granulocytic, and monocytic lineages upon appropriate stimulation, making it a versatile model for leukemia biology, hematopoietic differentiation, and signal transduction research.
DOCK11 functions as a specific GEF that catalyzes the exchange of GDP for GTP on CDC42, a master regulator of the actin cytoskeleton. DOCK11 activity is regulated by upstream signals from integrins, chemokine receptors, GPCRs, and receptor tyrosine kinases, often acting in concert with ELMO proteins (ELMO1, ELMO2, ELMO3). Upon activation, DOCK11 promotes CDC42-GTP loading, which in turn triggers downstream effectors such as PAK, WASP, and the Arp2/3 complex, leading to F-actin polymerization and reorganization. This signaling axis is critical for cell migration, phagocytosis, and immune synapse formation.
In the K-562 context, DOCK11 disruption provides a valuable tool for dissecting CDC42-dependent pathways in hematopoietic cells. K-562 cells endogenously express DOCK11 and its interaction partners, enabling studies of actin dynamics and cell adhesion in a leukemia model. Given the role of DOCK11 in immune cell function, this knockout model is particularly relevant for investigating the molecular basis of combined immunodeficiency, cancer metastasis, and autoimmune disorders, where CDC42 signaling is often dysregulated.
These polyclonal knockout cells are suitable for a variety of assays, including western blotting for DOCK11 and downstream phospho-PAK, CDC42 activation assays using GST-PAK-PBD pull-downs, transwell migration assays to assess chemotactic responses, and flow cytometry for differentiation markers. Researchers can employ immunofluorescence to visualize F-actin reorganization or co-immunoprecipitation to confirm disrupted ELMO interactions. The cells also support RT-qPCR profiling of CDC42 target genes and proliferation assays for drug sensitivity studies. For ordering and technical inquiries, please contact Ascent Research.
