The DPP7 Knockout HeLa Polyclonal Cells represent a population of HeLa cells engineered via CRISPR/Cas9 to disrupt the DPP7 gene, creating a polyclonal loss-of-function model. This product is intended for research into lysosomal dipeptidyl peptidase activity and its role in apoptosis. By maintaining editing diversity, it supports pooled screening and functional assays without the need for monoclonal selection, offering a practical tool for cancer and cell biology laboratories.
The parental HeLa cell line is a well-characterized human cervical adenocarcinoma epithelial model, originally derived from a cervical cancer patient. HeLa cells are HPV-18 positive and exhibit inactivation of p53 and Rb, along with high aneuploidy. These genetic alterations promote vigorous proliferation and apoptosis resistance, making them an informative host for studying cancer biology and the interplay between oncogenic drivers and lysosomal processes.
DPP7 encodes a lysosomal serine dipeptidyl peptidase that preferentially removes N-terminal dipeptides with Pro or Ala, playing a critical role in terminal peptide degradation and protein turnover. Its expression is controlled by TFEB and lysosomal pH, and its activity is inhibited by serine protease inhibitors such as AEBSF. DPP7 functions alongside cathepsins and TPP1, interacting with lysosomal membrane proteins to hydrolyze peptide substrates. The resulting peptide fragments can modulate apoptotic signaling, potentially intersecting with caspase activation and the Bcl-2 regulatory network.
In HeLa cells, which possess defective apoptosis due to HPV-driven p53 and Rb inactivation, DPP7 disruption allows dissection of how lysosomal peptide processing contributes to apoptotic resistance. Loss of DPP7 may alter peptide intermediates that impact mitochondrial or death receptor pathways, providing a model to study lysosome-dependent sensitization of cancer cells to pro-apoptotic cues. This polyclonal knockout population is thus valuable for investigating crosstalk between lysosomal proteolysis and cell fate, and for screening drugs that exploit lysosomal vulnerabilities in tumors.
Researchers can utilize the DPP7 Knockout HeLa Polyclonal Cells in assays including Annexin V/PI flow cytometry for apoptosis quantification, cleaved caspase-3 western blot for effector caspase activation, LAMP1 immunofluorescence for lysosomal visualization, lysosomal protease activity assays for dipeptidyl peptidase function, and RT-qPCR for TFEB target gene expression. These applications facilitate detailed investigations into lysosomal proteolysis, apoptosis signaling, and cancer drug sensitivity, making the product a versatile tool for discovery research. For further details, contact Ascent Research.
