HMOX1 Knockout HEK293T Polyclonal Cells are a CRISPR/Cas9-edited polyclonal knockout cell population derived from the widely used HEK293T human embryonic kidney cell line. This product provides researchers with a pooled population of cells carrying CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene disruption at the HMOX1 locus, enabling loss-of-function studies without single-cell cloning. The polyclonal format retains genetic heterogeneity while ensuring robust target-gene disruption across the population, offering a convenient and reliable model for examining HMOX1-dependent processes.
The parental HEK293T cell line is a derivative of the original HEK293 line, transformed with the SV40 large T antigen, which supports episomal replication of plasmids containing an SV40 origin of replication. This feature, combined with the line??s embryonic kidney epithelial origin, makes HEK293T exceptionally suitable for high-efficiency transient transfection, recombinant protein expression, and lentiviral packaging. The cells are widely employed as a versatile platform in signal transduction, cancer biology, and drug discovery research.
HMOX1 encodes heme oxygenase-1, which degrades heme into biliverdin, carbon monoxide (CO), and free iron; these products mediate antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and signaling effects. Expression is induced by NRF2 (NFE2L2) binding to ARE elements after release from KEAP1, and is repressed by BACH1. Key inducers include heme, oxidative stress, and cytokines IL-6 and IL-10. Downstream targets include bilirubin (from biliverdin), ferritin (for iron sequestration), and NQO1/GCLC. Thus, HMOX1 orchestrates a multifaceted stress response.
In HEK293T cells, which are routinely subjected to transfection and viral production stresses, HMOX1 expression is responsive to the cellular redox state. Disruption of HMOX1 in this background creates a sensitized system for interrogating the NRF2?CHMOX1 axis, allowing researchers to dissect the contribution of heme oxygenase-1 to oxidative defense, ferroptosis resistance, and inflammatory signaling. The polyclonal knockout population avoids potential artifacts of clonal selection and provides a more physiologically relevant distribution of genetic alterations. The high transfectability of HEK293T cells further facilitates rescue experiments, ectopic expression of pathway components, and CRISPR-based secondary screens, making this knockout model a flexible tool for mechanistic studies.
This HMOX1 knockout model is ideal for studying oxidative stress, ferroptosis, and cytoprotective signaling. Common assays include western blotting and RT-qPCR to verify HMOX1 disruption, heme oxygenase activity measurements, ROS quantification, and lipid peroxidation detection. Chromatin immunoprecipitation can monitor NRF2 recruitment to ARE sequences. Applications extend to inflammation, cardiovascular disease, neuroprotection, and cancer research. For further details, contact Ascent Research.
