The CRBN (cereblon) gene is an essential component of cell biology with important implications for both health and disease. The gene is located on chromosome 3 at position 3p26.2. The cereblon protein encoded by the CRBN gene is found in the cytoplasm of cells and is part of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, a key pathway responsible for the degradation and recycling of proteins. One of the main functions of the CRBN protein is its role as a substrate receptor in an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex known as the CRL4 complex. This complex selectively tags certain proteins for proteasomal degradation through a process known as ubiquitination. Regulation of protein breakdown is essential for many cellular processes, including cell cycle progression, DNA repair, and signal transduction. Dysfunction of this pathway can lead to a variety of diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.
The CRBN protein is also the target of the drug thalidomide, which gained notoriety in the 1950s and 1960s for its association with birth defects. Thalidomide and its derivatives lenalidomide and pomalidomide are immunomodulatory drugs used to treat multiple myeloma and other diseases. These drugs bind to the CRBN protein, altering its function and thereby affecting the substrate specificity of the CRL4 complex. This binding alters the pattern of protein degradation, which contributes to their therapeutic effects but also to their teratogenicity.
Cereblon (CRBN) is a novel post-translational regulator of Cav1.2α, the main conductor of cardiac contraction in healthy and pathological states. CRBN expression is higher in heart failure (HF) patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) compared with healthy subjects. Reduced CRBN levels enhance cardiac contractility in normal and doxorubicin-induced HF mice, which may serve not only as a potential biomarker for HFrEF patients but also as a potential target for new cardioprotective therapeutic strategies. In addition, the PROTAC-based CRBN degrader TD-165 increased L-type calcium channel current (I CaL) in cardiomyocytes, showing its potential as a positive inotropic agent for the treatment of heart diseases.
In vivo and in vitro studies showed that whole-body CRBN knockout mice (CRBN−/−) and cardiac-specific knockout mice (Crbnfl/fl/Myh6Cre+ ; cKO) had enhanced cardiac contractility and increased LTCC current (I CaL) compared with their respective control groups, which was mediated by a direct interaction of CRBN with Cav1.2α. Mechanistically, the Lon domain of CRBN directly interacts with the N-terminus of Cav1.2α. Increasing CRBN levels enhanced ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of Cav1.2α and decreased I CaL.
I CaL density was significantly increased in cardiomyocytes isolated from CRBN KO mice compared with those from WT mice (Figure 1A). A similar increase in I CaL density was observed in cardiomyocytes isolated from CRBN cKO compared with that of cWT cardiomyocytes (Figure 1B). Cav1.2α-overexpressed HEK293 CRBN knockout (HEK293 KO) had a higher I CaL density compared with Cav1.2α-overexpressed HEK293 cells (HEK293 WT) (Figure 1C). Neither activation nor inactivation of I CaL was affected by CRBN KO. Researchers further compared the protein levels of Cav1.2 among WT, CRBN KO, cWT, and CRBN cKO mice. Cav1.2α was significantly increased in both KO and CRBN cKO mouse hearts (Figure 1D).
Figure 1. CRBN knockout increases Cav1.2α activity and expression. (Park N, et al., 2022)
Human CRBN knockout cell line - HEK293 offers a wide range of applications in biomedical research and drug development:
Target identification and validation: This cell line helps identify and validate drug targets, especially for CRBN-related pathways. By knocking out the CRBN gene, researchers can study its specific role in various cellular processes, helping to elucidate drug mechanisms.
Functional genomics: CRBN knockout HEK293 cells are used for gene function studies, allowing researchers to study the downstream effects of CRBN loss on gene expression and phenotypic alterations. This is critical to understanding the broader biological significance of the gene.
Drug screening and development: The CRBN knockout cell line is an important tool for high-throughput screening of potential therapeutic compounds that interact with the CRBN pathway. It is particularly useful in the early stages of drug development to assess efficacy and specificity.
Mechanistic studies: Researchers use these cells to explore the molecular mechanisms of CRBN's role in cellular processes such as protein homeostasis, apoptosis, and signal transduction. These insights can provide a deeper understanding of disease pathogenesis and therapeutic intervention points.
Disease modeling: This cell line can be used as a model to study diseases associated with CRBN mutations or dysregulation, such as certain cancers and neurodevelopmental disorders. It can help elucidate disease mechanisms and test potential therapeutic strategies.
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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Customer Reviews
Superior quality
The cells arrive in excellent condition every time, which has been critical for our long-term studies.
Enhanced Research Capabilities
Utilizing the CRBN Knockout Cell Line-HEK293 has significantly broadened our research capabilities. The knockout model has helped us gain deeper insights into the molecular mechanisms of cereblon-related pathways.
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