DRICH1 Knockout HeLa Polyclonal Cells are a CRISPR/Cas9-edited polyclonal knockout cell population designed to disrupt the DRICH1 gene in the HeLa cervical adenocarcinoma line. This heterogeneous pool of gene-edited cells provides a versatile loss-of-function model for studying DRICH1 in a well-characterized cellular environment.
HeLa cells, derived from a female patient, are immortalized and HPV18-positive, leading to p53 inactivation by the E6 oncoprotein. This widely used line offers robust growth and extensive characterization, making it a reliable host for knockout studies. The adenocarcinoma background provides a cancer-relevant context for investigating gene function.
DRICH1 encodes a testis-enriched aspartate/glutamate-rich protein that acts as a structural scaffold in sperm flagella. It interacts with outer dense fiber proteins ODF1 and ODF2, the A-kinase anchoring protein AKAP3, and tubulin (TUBB), and undergoes self-association. Upstream regulators include SP1, CREB1, and testis-specific transcription factors RFX2 and CREM. Through these interactions, DRICH1 organizes the flagellar cytoskeleton, with downstream targets such as AKAP4 and structural components like TEKT2 and SPAG6. Although its primary function is flagellogenesis, the HeLa knockout model allows interrogation of protein-protein interactions and potential extra-testis roles.
In HeLa cells, endogenous DRICH1 is absent, so the knockout serves as an ideal negative control for antibody specificity and a background for ectopic expression experiments. Researchers can reconstitute wild-type or mutant forms to dissect structure-function relationships without interference from endogenous protein. The tractability of HeLa cells supports high-throughput assays and biochemical purification, facilitating detailed analysis of DRICH1’s interaction network and its impact on cytoskeletal dynamics.
This product enables a variety of assays: co-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry to identify DRICH1-binding partners (e.g., ODF1, AKAP3), Western blotting and RT-qPCR for knockout validation, and immunofluorescence after overexpression to study localization. For motility studies, flagellated cell models can be complemented by biochemical analysis using these knockout cells. Applications include male infertility research, spermatogenesis, and cytoskeletal organization studies. For further information, contact Ascent Research.
