The HDLBP Knockout HeLa Polyclonal Cells are a CRISPR/Cas9-edited polyclonal knockout cell population for loss-of-function studies of HDLBP (Vigilin) in a human cell context. They comprise a heterogeneous pool of HeLa cells with targeted disruptions in the HDLBP locus, generated by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing. The polyclonal format provides robust representation of knockout variants, enabling interrogation of HDLBP-dependent pathways without clonal bias, suitable for lipid metabolism and RNA biology research.
The host HeLa cell line is an immortalized human cervical adenocarcinoma widely used for its robust growth, high transfection efficiency, and well-mapped genomic and proteomic features. These characteristics provide a consistent and reliable background for genetic perturbation experiments. HeLa cells are particularly suited for studying metabolic and signaling pathways relevant to cancer and lipid biology, aligning with HDLBP’s functions in cholesterol trafficking and RNA regulation.
HDLBP (Vigilin) is an RNA-binding protein that facilitates cellular uptake of cholesterol esters by binding HDL particles, and it also stabilizes and regulates the translation of mRNAs encoding lipid metabolism proteins such as ABCA1 and LDLR. Its activity is governed by upstream regulators SREBP2, LXR, and PPARgamma, which sense cholesterol levels, while downstream it modulates AKT signaling and interacts with the RISC complex. Key pathway mediators include ApoA-I and SCARB1, integrating lipid sensing with metabolic control.
In HeLa cells, HDLBP knockout disrupts the balance of cholesterol uptake, storage, and efflux. This model allows dissection of how HDLBP-mediated HDL binding and mRNA regulation influence cellular lipid homeostasis. Given the transformed nature of HeLa cells, this polyclonal knockout population is valuable for studying the intersection of lipid metabolism and cancer cell proliferation, including alterations in cholesterol distribution, lipoprotein receptor expression, and AKT phosphorylation.
These polyclonal knockout cells support diverse applications: cholesterol uptake/efflux assays to measure transport defects, RNA-seq and RT-qPCR for transcriptomic profiling, co-immunoprecipitation and Western blotting for protein interactions, and immunofluorescence/flow cytometry for HDL binding and receptor localization. Metabolic assays can reveal shifts in lipid utilization. They are a robust platform for cardiovascular disease modeling, atherosclerosis drug screening, and RNA biology research. For further information, contact Ascent Research.
