The ELAVL1 Knockout HeLa Polyclonal Cells are a CRISPR/Cas9-edited polyclonal population derived from the HeLa cell line, providing a loss-of-function model for the ELAVL1 gene encoding the RNA-binding protein HuR. The polyclonal format ensures a heterogeneous knockout pool, enabling robust functional analysis without clonal bias. This product is optimized for studies in post-transcriptional gene regulation, cancer biology, and cellular stress responses.
HeLa cells are an immortalized, HPV18-positive cervical adenocarcinoma epithelial cell line with aneuploid karyotype, widely used for genetic manipulation and phenotypic screening due to their well-characterized biology, rapid growth, and extensive literature support. Disrupting ELAVL1 in this background allows investigation of HuR function in a cancer-relevant context where mRNA stability control is frequently dysregulated.
ELAVL1 encodes HuR, which binds AU-rich elements (AREs) in 3?? UTRs of target mRNAs, protecting them from degradation and enhancing translation. HuR is activated by upstream kinases including p38 MAPK, PKC, and AMPK in response to cellular stressors like hypoxia and cytokines. It stabilizes key transcripts such as CCND1, VEGFA, MYC, BCL2, PTGS2, and TP53, and interacts with regulators like AUF1, TTP, and CRM1 to modulate mRNA fate. This post-transcriptional network rapidly adjusts expression of proliferation, survival, and inflammatory genes.
In HeLa cells, where HuR is often overexpressed, its knockout enables dissection of its contributions to malignant phenotypes, including uncontrolled proliferation and apoptosis resistance. This model is highly valuable for exploring how HuR-dependent mRNA stabilization drives cervical carcinoma progression and for identifying therapeutic vulnerabilities.
This polyclonal knockout product supports a wide range of experimental approaches, including RT-qPCR and RNA immunoprecipitation to assess target mRNA levels and HuR binding, actinomycin D chase and dual-luciferase reporter assays for mRNA stability and ARE activity, western blotting and immunofluorescence for protein expression and localization, and cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis assays (e.g., annexin V staining). These cells are ideally suited for studies in RNA biology, cancer signaling, and drug target discovery. For further information, please contact Ascent Research.
