The PTEN gene is the most important tumor suppressor gene discovered after the p53 gene. It is located at 10q23.3, with a total length of about 200 kb, including 9 exons and 8 introns, encoding 403 amino acids. Its protein product includes three structural functional regions: an amino-terminal phosphatase region consisting of 180 amino acids, a lipid-binding C2 region, and a carboxyl-terminal region consisting of about 50 amino acids. PTEN gene regulation participates in a variety of cell signaling pathways and can affect tumor growth in many aspects, such as tumor cell proliferation and differentiation, cell cycle, cell apoptosis, and cell migration.
John et al.'s research showed that the inhibitory effect of PTEN on the metastasis, infiltration, and growth of glioma cells is mainly mediated by local focal adhesion kinase (FAK). PTEN regulates FAK in two main ways: first, by dephosphorylating and inactivating FAK, and then downregulating the downstream regulatory signal of FAK, p130CAS, thereby inhibiting cell metastasis, infiltration and growth; second, by inactivating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), resulting in the inhibition of the PI3K-AKT (protein kinase B) pathway. Masliah-Planchon et al. found that 3-phosphoinositide (PIP3) is an important substrate of PTEN. Functional variation of PTEN protein can lead to the inactivation of lipid phosphatases, but still has protein phosphatase activity. PTEN dephosphorylates PIP3, blocks the PI3K-AKT pathway, reduces the activity of AKT, and accelerates cell apoptosis.
The PTEN gene (phosphatase and tensin homolog) is an important tumor suppressor implicated in a variety of cancers. Knockout (deletion) of this gene in cell lines can aid in understanding the underlying mechanisms of tumorigenesis and the development of targeted therapies. The PTEN knockout HCT116 cell line, derived from human colorectal cancer, is particularly valuable in research. Here are some key applications:
Cancer Research: PTEN loss or mutation is frequently observed in various cancers, making this cell line a valuable model for understanding the molecular mechanisms of cancer progression and resistance to therapies.
Drug Screening: These cells are essential for high-throughput drug screening assays designed to identify new therapeutic compounds. Researchers can evaluate the efficacy of potential drugs targeting pathways altered by PTEN loss, providing insights into new cancer treatment strategies.
Signal Transduction Studies: PTEN is a key regulator of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. HCT116 PTEN knockout cells help scientists study the downstream effects of PTEN loss on cellular signaling networks, providing a deeper understanding of its role in cell growth, survival, and metabolism.
Genetic Studies: Using cell lines to evaluate the effectiveness of gene editing tools and techniques in correcting PTEN loss or modulating related pathways. Explore how PTEN deficiency alters the epigenetic landscape of cells and promotes cancer progression.
Biomarker Identification: Researchers use PTEN knockout HCT116 cells to identify and validate biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis.
Metabolic Studies: The PTEN gene plays a key role in metabolic regulation. Studying PTEN knockout HCT116 cells allows researchers to explore metabolic changes associated with PTEN deficiency, aiding the development of metabolism-based cancer treatments.
Customer Q&As
What is the recommended growth medium? Does it require antibiotic selection?
A: DMEM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum.
It is not required to add the selection antibiotics when culturing the KO cells.
How is the knockout cell line validated?
A: The knockout cell product is validated by PCR amplification and Sanger Sequencing to confirm the mutation at the genomic level. Please find the detailed mutation info in the datasheet.
Is the product a single clonal cell or mixed cell pool?
A: Single clonal cell.
Can I confirm gene knockout by RT-qPCR?
A: No. This knockout cell product is generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 system to induce small insertions or deletions (indels) resulting in frameshift mutations. Although these frameshift mutations typically disrupt the coding gene, there is a possibility that the non-functional transcript may still be transcribed. Consequently, this could potentially yield misleading results when analyzed by RT-qPCR.
How can I store the cell product?
A: The cell line should be stored in liquid nitrogen for long-term preservation.
Is it possible to get multiple knockout clones for my GOI?
A: For most cases, we often keep at least 2 clones with different frameshift mutations. Please feel free to contact us to check if there are additional available clones.
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