GPR171 Knockout KYSE-150 Polyclonal Cells comprise a CRISPR/Cas9-edited polyclonal knockout population engineered from the human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) line KYSE-150, targeting the GPR171 gene. This heterogeneous pool of edited cells enables loss-of-function analysis of the G protein-coupled receptor GPR171, providing a robust model for functional genomics without clonal selection. The polyclonal format preserves population diversity, making it suitable for pooled screening approaches and assessing phenotypic variability.
The parental KYSE-150 cell line, derived from a poorly differentiated human ESCC tumor, is widely employed as an epithelial model for esophageal cancer research. KYSE-150 cells harbor characteristic genetic alterations found in ESCC, such as mutations in TP53, and exhibit epithelial morphology, making them a standard in vitro system for studying squamous cell carcinoma pathogenesis, signaling dysregulation, and therapeutic interventions.
GPR171 encodes a G??i/o-coupled receptor that is activated by the BigLEN peptide derived from the proSAAS precursor. Ligand engagement triggers G??i/o-mediated inhibition of adenylyl cyclase, decreasing intracellular cAMP and attenuating PKA activity, while simultaneously stimulating MAPK/ERK and PI3K/Akt cascades. Downstream effectors include ERK1/2, Akt, mTOR, and AMPK. Signaling is modulated by metabolic hormones such as leptin and ghrelin, and involves ??-arrestin interactions. In cancer cells, GPR171-driven ERK and Akt activation can promote proliferation and survival, highlighting its relevance to tumor biology.
Within the KYSE-150 ESCC background, GPR171 knockout allows dissection of receptor function in a disease-relevant context. Since GPR171 may contribute to ESCC cell growth and survival, this knockout model enables elucidation of its role in neoplastic behaviors such as proliferation, migration, and apoptosis resistance. It also provides a platform to study interactions between neuropeptide signaling and oncogenic pathways in esophageal epithelium.
The GPR171 knockout polyclonal cells are applicable to diverse experimental workflows. Phospho-specific western blotting can quantify changes in ERK1/2, Akt, mTOR, and AMPK phosphorylation. RT-qPCR and RNA-seq enable transcriptomic profiling, while proliferation, migration/invasion, and apoptosis assays provide phenotypic readouts. cAMP assays assess Gi-coupled signaling integrity. This model supports ESCC research, GPCR signaling studies, metabolic disorder investigation, and drug target validation. For further information, please contact Ascent Research.
