The EMP3 Knockout SH-SY5Y cell line is a CRISPR/Cas9-edited knockout cell line derived from the human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line, featuring targeted disruption of the EMP3 gene. This loss-of-function model enables investigation of EMP3-mediated tumor suppression mechanisms without introducing specific editing artifacts. The cell line is provided as a stable knockout population suitable for a variety of functional assays in neuro-oncology and cell signaling research.
SH-SY5Y cells are a well-characterized subclone of the SK-N-SH neuroblastoma line, originally isolated from a bone marrow metastasis of a female patient. These cells exhibit a catecholaminergic phenotype and are widely employed as a neuronal model for studying neuroblastoma biology, neuronal differentiation, and neurodegenerative processes. Their adherent growth and transfectability make them amenable to genetic manipulation and downstream biochemical analyses.
EMP3 encodes a tetraspan membrane glycoprotein that functions as a tumor suppressor by inhibiting key oncogenic pathways. It interacts with E-cadherin and ??-catenin to maintain cell-cell adhesion and associates with integrin ??1 and CD82 to modulate adhesion signaling. EMP3 suppresses the PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis, reducing phosphorylation of AKT and S6, and influences MAPK/ERK signaling via RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK. Upstream regulators include TGF-??1, EGF, and DNMTs, while downstream loss of EMP3 elevates p-AKT, p-S6, and cyclin D1 and decreases p21, driving proliferation and survival.
In the SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma context, EMP3 knockout removes a critical brake on proliferation and migration, recapitulating aspects of aggressive tumor behavior. Neuroblastoma is characterized by frequent dysregulation of PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways, and EMP3 loss may synergize with other oncogenic events to drive tumor progression. This knockout line therefore provides a relevant model to dissect the contribution of EMP3 to neuroblastoma pathology, including its role in adhesion-dependent signaling and TGF-??-mediated responses, and to test therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring EMP3 function or inhibiting downstream effectors.
Researchers can utilize the EMP3 Knockout SH-SY5Y cell line in a broad range of applications, including western blotting to assess AKT/mTOR pathway activation, RT-qPCR for EMP3 expression verification, immunofluorescence to examine E-cadherin localization, and functional assays such as proliferation, migration/invasion, and colony formation. The line is also suitable for apoptosis studies and drug sensitivity testing with PI3K inhibitors to evaluate therapeutic vulnerabilities. Moreover, it can serve in epigenetic reactivation screens to identify compounds that restore EMP3 expression. For further information, contact Ascent Research.
