The GYPC Knockout HAP1 Polyclonal Cells product provides a CRISPR/Cas9-edited polyclonal knockout cell population derived from the HAP1 cell line, designed for loss-of-function studies of the GYPC gene. This pool contains a heterogeneous mix of cells carrying distinct disruption events at the GYPC locus, generated by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene targeting, and is suitable for experiments requiring a population-level gene knockout without single-cell cloning. The polyclonal format preserves genetic diversity and enables bulk functional assessments while minimizing clonal artifacts.
The parental HAP1 cell line is a near-haploid human chronic myelogenous leukemia-derived line originally established from the KBM-7 cell line. HAP1 cells exhibit a near-haploid karyotype, with disomy of chromosome 8 and the sex chromosomes, and can be cultured either in suspension or as adherent monolayers, offering experimental flexibility. Their near-haploid genome makes HAP1 a powerful tool for genetic screens, as the presence of a single allele simplifies CRISPR-based gene disruption and phenotypic analysis.
GYPC encodes glycophorin C, a minor sialoglycoprotein predominantly expressed on erythrocytes, where it anchors the membrane cytoskeleton by binding protein 4.1 (EPB41) and p55 (MPP1), which in turn link to the spectrin-based skeleton (SPTA1, SPTB, ANK1). Additionally, glycophorin C serves as a receptor for Plasmodium falciparum EBA-140 during merozoite invasion. Transcription of GYPC is regulated by GATA1 and KLF1. In erythroid cells, loss of glycophorin C disrupts the glycophorin C?Cprotein 4.1?Cp55 ternary complex, compromising membrane mechanical stability and impairing parasite entry.
HAP1 cells are non-erythroid and do not endogenously express detectable levels of glycophorin C, making this knockout model a clean null background particularly valuable for ectopic expression studies. By re-introducing GYPC variants, researchers can dissect structure-function relationships governing cytoskeletal anchoring and ligand binding. Furthermore, the near-haploid nature of HAP1 cells ensures complete gene disruption with a single CRISPR guide, rendering this polyclonal pool highly useful as a negative control in genetic screens and for studying gene function in pathways that may be reconstituted in non-erythroid contexts.
This knockout product supports a range of assays, including flow cytometric detection of ectopically expressed glycophorin C, co-immunoprecipitation of EPB41 and MPP1, Western blot analysis of complex components, and malaria invasion assays using EBA-140-coated erythrocytes. It also serves as a host for haploid genetic screens exploring membrane skeleton biology and blood group antigen research. RT-qPCR can confirm absence of off-target effects. For further details on product specifications and availability, please contact Ascent Research.
