The DOCK2 Knockout HGC-27 Polyclonal Cells are a CRISPR/Cas9-edited polyclonal knockout cell population in the HGC-27 human gastric carcinoma line, enabling loss-of-function studies of the DOCK2 gene. This polyclonal format avoids single-cell cloning, offering a robust heterogeneous model for investigating DOCK2-dependent phenotypes in cancer and immunology research.
The parental HGC-27 cell line, derived from a human gastric adenocarcinoma, serves as a relevant epithelial model for gastric cancer pathogenesis. Exhibiting adherent growth, epithelial morphology, and invasive capacity, HGC-27 retains key tumor characteristics, making it suitable for studying gene function in metastatic signaling and tumor-immune interactions.
DOCK2 encodes a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for the Rho GTPases Rac1 and Cdc42, forming a complex with ELMO proteins to catalyze GTP loading and trigger actin reorganization. Activation occurs downstream of chemokine receptors (CXCR4, CXCR5), T cell receptor, and integrin LFA-1 via PI3K-generated PIP3, engaging PAK kinases and the WAVE complex to promote Arp2/3?mediated actin polymerization. This cascade governs cell migration, polarization, and adhesion, and its dysregulation contributes to cancer cell invasion and immune cell trafficking. Core pathway components include DOCK2, ELMO, Rac1, Cdc42, PAK1, WAVE2, and the Arp2/3 complex.
In gastric adenocarcinoma, DOCK2-driven cytoskeletal remodeling is implicated in tumor invasion and metastasis. HGC-27 cells display robust invasive behavior, and DOCK2 knockout in this polyclonal model enables quantitative evaluation of its contribution to 3D invasion and transendothelial migration. Given that peritoneal dissemination is a frequent route of gastric cancer progression, the model provides a tractable system to investigate DOCK2-dependent signaling that drives peritoneal metastasis. Moreover, co-culture with immune cells can be used to dissect the role of DOCK2 in tumor-immune cell interactions within the gastric tumor microenvironment.
Experimental applications encompass migration and invasion assays (Boyden chamber, wound healing), Rac1/Cdc42 activation assays, and immunofluorescence for actin cytoskeleton architecture. Downstream signaling can be assessed by western blotting for phosphorylated PAK and DOCK2 expression, or by RT?qPCR verification of knockout efficiency. The population is suited for drug screening campaigns targeting GEF activity and for rescue experiments to validate specificity. For further technical details and ordering information, please contact Ascent Research.
