The KMT2E Knockout HeLa Polyclonal Cells are a CRISPR/Cas9-edited polyclonal knockout population derived from HeLa cells, targeting the KMT2E gene which encodes a histone-lysine N-methyltransferase specific for histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4). The polyclonal pool contains a heterogeneous mixture of cells with gene disruptions, avoiding clonal selection bias and providing a robust loss-of-function model for studying KMT2E-dependent processes.
HeLa cells, originating from human epithelial cervical adenocarcinoma, are a well-established model in cancer research. They harbor integrated HPV18 sequences, express the E6 oncoprotein that inactivates p53, and exhibit telomerase activity and an aneuploid karyotype. This immortalized and genomically unstable background is particularly useful for investigating epigenetic regulation in a cancer context.
KMT2E functions within the COMPASS-like complex, interacting with core components ASH2L, WDR5, RBBP5, and DPY30 to catalyze H3K4 methylation at active promoters. It is regulated by upstream transcription factors such as E2F and MYC, and in turn controls expression of downstream targets including HOX gene clusters, cell cycle regulators, and genes involved in differentiation. Disruption of KMT2E leads to reduced H3K4 methylation, altering chromatin structure and transcriptional programs.
In HeLa cells, KMT2E knockout allows dissection of epigenetic mechanisms underlying cervical adenocarcinoma and other cancers. The p53-deficient, HPV-driven background provides a context to examine how loss of H3K4me influences oncogenic gene expression, proliferation, and apoptosis. Additionally, this model is relevant for neurodevelopmental disorders and acute myeloid leukemia, where KMT2E mutations are implicated.
This polyclonal knockout cell product is suitable for ChIP-qPCR to assess H3K4 methylation changes, RT-qPCR for target gene expression (e.g., HOX, cell cycle regulators), western blotting for histone modifications, and RNA-seq for transcriptome-wide analysis. Functional assays such as cell proliferation/viability tests and flow cytometry?Cbased cell cycle profiling can also be performed. For further details, please contact Ascent Research.
