The Zbp1 Knockout H9c2(2-1) Cell Line is a CRISPR/Cas9-edited knockout cell line derived from the H9c2(2-1) rat cardiomyoblast line, engineered to disrupt the gene encoding Z-DNA binding protein 1 (Zbp1). This loss-of-function model provides a defined genetic background for studying innate immune signaling and regulated cell death pathways in a cardiac muscle context. The cell line is supplied as a viable, cryopreserved culture that retains the proliferative and differentiation capacity of the parental H9c2(2-1) line, facilitating integration into standard cardiac research workflows.
The host cell line, H9c2(2-1), is a well-characterized subclone of the original H9c2 line isolated from embryonic BDIX rat heart ventricular tissue. H9c2(2-1) cells display a cardiomyoblast phenotype and are widely employed as a model system for investigating cardiac hypertrophy, cellular physiology, and signaling networks relevant to myocardial biology. Their capacity to respond to hypertrophic stimuli and express key cardiac markers makes them especially suitable for dissecting molecular mechanisms that underlie heart muscle function and pathology.
ZBP1 functions as a cytosolic nucleic acid sensor that specifically recognizes Z-conformation DNA and RNA, acting upstream of the kinase TBK1 and the transcription factors IRF3 and NF-??B to drive type I interferon production. Additionally, ZBP1 engages the necroptosis machinery by interacting with receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 3 (RIPK3), which in turn phosphorylates and activates the pseudokinase MLKL to execute programmed necrosis. This dual signaling capacity positions ZBP1 at a critical juncture between antiviral innate immunity and inflammatory cell death, with upstream regulation by cytosolic nucleic acids, interferons, and interferon regulatory factors, and downstream engagement of RIPK3, MLKL, IRF3, and TBK1.
In the cardiac context, genetic deletion of Zbp1 in H9c2(2-1) cells creates a powerful tool for examining how nucleic acid sensing and necroptotic signaling influence cardiomyoblast biology. Given the emerging links between cell death pathways and myocardial injury, including ischemia?Creperfusion damage and viral myocarditis, this knockout line enables the dissection of ZBP1-dependent responses to pathogen-derived or host-derived nucleic acids. Researchers can interrogate whether ZBP1 contributes to cardiomyocyte loss or inflammatory cascades in heart disease models, thus bridging innate immunity with cardiac pathophysiology.
This cell line supports a broad array of experimental applications, including mechanistic studies of innate immune signaling, viral infection modeling (e.g., coxsackievirus B3 or influenza A virus), necroptosis research, and investigation of autoimmune disease mechanisms. Compatible assay formats encompass western blotting for expression and phosphorylation analysis, RT?qPCR for gene expression profiling, immunofluorescence microscopy for protein localization, flow cytometry for cell death or signaling readouts, reporter assays for transcription factor activity, co?immunoprecipitation for protein?Cprotein interactions, and dedicated apoptosis/necroptosis assays using inhibitors such as necrostatin-1 or z?VAD. For further information, please contact Ascent Research.
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