The IFT140 Knockout A-549 Polyclonal Cells are a CRISPR/Cas9-edited polyclonal knockout cell population derived from the human A-549 lung adenocarcinoma cell line. This product comprises a heterogeneous pool of cells with targeted disruption of the IFT140 gene, providing a versatile loss-of-function model for studying IFT140-dependent processes. The polyclonal format enables investigation of gene function while capturing natural variation in editing outcomes, making it suitable for initial functional screens and population-level analyses.
The A-549 cell line is a human lung adenocarcinoma model derived from a 58-year-old Caucasian male. These cells exhibit alveolar type II epithelial features and can assemble primary cilia under appropriate conditions, making them relevant for ciliary biology and cancer studies. A-549 is widely used in oncology and respiratory research, and its ability to form cilia positions it as a valuable system for studying cilia-dependent signaling in a lung cancer context.
IFT140 encodes a core subunit of the intraflagellar transport complex A (IFT-A), essential for retrograde ciliary trafficking from the tip to the base. IFT140 interacts with IFT-A components IFT122 and IFT43, the adaptor WDR19, tubulin, and the dynein-2 motor to maintain ciliary structure and function. Transcription of IFT140 is regulated by FOXJ1, RFX factors, and Notch signaling. Loss of IFT140 disrupts ciliogenesis and attenuates Hedgehog signaling by impairing SMO trafficking and ciliary GPCR localization, which reduces GLI transcription factor activity and alters target gene expression. IFT140 also intersects with TGF-beta and Wnt pathways, integrating multiple cilia-dependent signals.
In A-549 cells, IFT140 knockout impairs primary cilia formation and Hedgehog pathway output, providing a model to investigate how ciliary dysfunction influences lung cancer cell behavior. Aberrant Hedgehog signaling contributes to lung tumor progression and chemoresistance; thus, this model helps dissect the role of cilia in oncogenic signaling. TGF-beta signaling, another cilia-modulated pathway in certain contexts, can also be explored. The polyclonal population reflects heterogeneous ciliary loss, mimicking tumor heterogeneity.
Key applications include immunofluorescence-based ciliary analysis (acetylated tubulin, ARL13B), western blotting for IFT140, RT-qPCR for GLI target genes, and Hedgehog luciferase reporter assays. Functional studies of migration, invasion, and proliferation are also enabled. The model is valuable for ciliopathy research and screening modulators of cilia-dependent pathways. For further information, please contact Ascent Research.
