The KTN1 Knockout A-549 Polyclonal Cells consist of a CRISPR/Cas9-edited polyclonal knockout cell population derived from the A-549 human lung adenocarcinoma cell line. This product is designed for loss-of-function studies of the KTN1 gene, which encodes kinectin, a kinesin-1 receptor critical for endoplasmic reticulum (ER) positioning and intracellular trafficking. The polyclonal format provides a heterogeneous pool of gene-disrupted cells, offering a robust model to investigate KTN1-dependent cellular processes without relying on clonal variation.
The host cell line A-549 was originally isolated from the alveolar basal epithelium of a 58-year-old Caucasian male diagnosed with lung carcinoma. As a well-characterized model of human lung adenocarcinoma, A-549 cells are extensively employed in cancer research to study tumor biology, drug sensitivity, and metastatic behavior. Their epithelial morphology and high transfection efficiency make them particularly suitable for CRISPR-mediated gene editing, enabling functional genomics studies in a disease-relevant context.
KTN1 serves as a membrane anchor for kinesin-1 (KIF5B) on the ER, facilitating microtubule-dependent extension and distribution of the ER network throughout the cytoplasm. This interaction is regulated by upstream factors including Rho GTPases and potential phosphorylation events, whereas downstream outcomes involve ER network organization, vesicle trafficking, and secretion. KTN1 also associates with ribosomes and the small GTPase RhoA, positioning it at the intersection of cytoskeletal dynamics and organelle positioning pathways.
In the context of A-549 cells, disruption of KTN1 function leads to aberrant ER morphology and impaired intracellular trafficking, phenotypes that are highly relevant to lung cancer cell biology. Given the reliance of cancer cells on efficient secretion and ER homeostasis for proliferation and migration, this knockout model offers a powerful tool to study how KTN1 loss influences oncogenic processes, including cell motility and the response to ER stress.
This product is ideally suited for a range of experimental applications, such as investigating ER stress and the unfolded protein response, analyzing organelle positioning dynamics, and exploring the molecular basis of lung adenocarcinoma. Representative assays include immunofluorescence staining of ER markers like calreticulin, live-cell imaging of ER dynamics, co-immunoprecipitation with KIF5B, microtubule co-sedimentation assays, and cell migration assays. For further information or to discuss how this knockout cell model can accelerate your research, please contact Ascent Research.
