TERT Lentiviral Activation Particles (h): sc-400316-LAC

Human TERT encodes the catalytic subunit of telomerase reverse transcriptase, which extends telomeric DNA repeats using an RNA template to maintain chromosome end integrity. By sustaining telomere length homeostasis, TERT supports replicative potential and genome stability, linking it to DNA damage responses, senescence programs, and cellular immortalization. TERT regulation intersects with proliferative signaling networks such as MYC- and WNT/β-catenin–associated transcriptional control and epigenetic chromatin states at the TERT promoter. Aberrant TERT expression or telomerase activity is frequently associated with oncogenic transformation and is also implicated in telomere biology disorders that affect tissue renewal and aging-associated phenotypes.

TERT Lentiviral Activation Particles (h) address this need by packaging the complete synergistic activation mediator (SAM) transcriptional activation system into transduction-ready, high-titer lentiviral particles, enabling efficient TERT upregulation across a broader range of human cell types.

TERT Lentiviral Activation Particles (h) deliver all functional components of the synergistic activation mediator (SAM) system via lentiviral transduction. The system comprises three particle preparations co-transduced into target cells: one encoding catalytically inactive dCas9 (D10A and N863A mutations) fused to the VP64 transactivation domain with a blasticidin resistance gene; one encoding the MS2-p65-HSF1 fusion protein with a hygromycin resistance gene; and one encoding a target-specific 20 nt sgRNA fused to two MS2 RNA aptamers with a puromycin resistance gene. Following lentiviral transduction and genomic integration of the expression cassettes, the SAM components are stably expressed and assemble at the target locus within the proximal promoter region upstream of the TERT transcriptional start site, where VP64, p65, and HSF1 act cooperatively to recruit endogenous transcriptional machinery and drive sustained upregulation of endogenous TERT expression. The use of nuclease-inactive dCas9 avoids the introduction of double-strand DNA breaks and preserves the native TERT genomic locus and regulatory architecture.

The lentiviral format offers several practical advantages: stable genomic integration supports heritable activation across cell divisions; high-titer particle preparations eliminate the need for in-house viral production; and compatibility with primary, non-dividing, and transfection-resistant cell types expands experimental accessibility. Successful transduction can be confirmed and enriched through triple antibiotic selection using puromycin, hygromycin, and blasticidin.

For Research Use Only. Not Intended for Diagnostic or Therapeutic Use.