The GCNT2 Knockout Raji Polyclonal Cells are a CRISPR/Cas9-edited polyclonal knockout cell population with disruption of the GCNT2 gene, generating a loss-of-function model for studying I-branching glycosylation. This polyclonal pool provides a heterogeneous yet genetically targeted system for functional analyses without clonal selection.
Raji cells are an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive B lymphocyte line derived from Burkitt lymphoma, widely used in immunology and cancer research. As a model of antigen-presenting cells, they recapitulate features of humoral immunity and lymphomagenesis, with well-characterized signaling pathways suitable for gene manipulation studies.
GCNT2 encodes a ??1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase that generates I-branched poly-N-acetyllactosamine chains on glycoconjugates using UDP-GlcNAc. This activity is regulated by NF-??B signaling, B-cell receptor activation, and the SP1 transcription factor. Downstream, GCNT2-mediated glycosylation modulates key glycoproteins including CD44, integrin ??5??1, EGFR, and CD147. The enzyme interacts with B4GALT1, ST6GAL1, and the COG complex within the Golgi, coordinating its biosynthetic role.
In Raji B lymphoma cells, GCNT2 shapes the glycocalyx and influences cell adhesion, migration, and immune recognition. Knockout of GCNT2 disrupts I-branching, potentially impairing interactions with extracellular matrix and immune effectors, thereby affecting lymphoma progression and immune evasion. This model enables dissection of glycosylation-dependent mechanisms in B-cell malignancies and related pathologies such as congenital cataracts and I blood group phenotype.
These knockout cells support detailed functional studies on glycosylation in B-cell lymphoma, immune escape, and cell migration. Typical assays include RT-qPCR and Western blotting for gene disruption confirmation, lectin blotting and flow cytometry for I-antigen detection, cell adhesion and transwell migration assays, and glycoproteomics by LC-MS/MS. The model is also valuable for testing glycosylation-targeted therapies. For further information, please contact Ascent Research.
