desmoplakin I/II CRISPR/Cas9 KO Plasmid (h): sc-400818

Overview

DSP encodes desmoplakin I/II, a core plakin family component of desmosomes that anchors intermediate filaments to cadherin-based junctional complexes, thereby supporting mechanical coupling between adjacent cells. By linking desmoglein/desmocollin–plakoglobin/plakophilin assemblies to keratin or desmin networks, desmoplakin helps coordinate epithelial and cardiac tissue integrity and regulates junctional remodeling during differentiation and wound-associated stress responses. Disruption of DSP perturbs cytoskeletal organization, cell–cell adhesion, and mechanoresponsive signaling, with established relevance to inherited and acquired disorders affecting epidermis and myocardium. These features make DSP a useful node for studying junctional stability, cytoskeletal cross-talk, and stress-induced remodeling pathways.

desmoplakin I/II CRISPR/Cas9 KO Plasmid (h) is a pool of plasmids designed for targeted disruption of the DSP gene in human cell lines. Each plasmid co-expresses a unique single guide RNA (sgRNA) targeting a distinct site within the DSP together with the Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 nuclease. The plasmids also encode GFP, allowing fluorescent identification and enrichment of successfully transfected cells by fluorescence microscopy or flow cytometry.

The multi-guide design increases the likelihood of generating insertions or deletions (indels) that disrupt the DSP open reading frame following Cas9-mediated double-strand break formation. DNA breaks introduced by the CRISPR/Cas9 system are repaired through endogenous non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathways, frequently resulting in frameshift mutations that abolish desmoplakin I/II protein expression.

This CRISPR knockout system enables efficient generation of DSP-deficient cell models for investigation of desmoplakin I/II signaling, functional genomics studies, cancer biology research, and evaluation of therapeutic responses in human cell lines.

Key Features

• sgRNAs targeting DSP exon(s) critical for desmoplakin I/II function
• Co-expression of SpCas9 and sgRNA from a single plasmid for simplified delivery
• GFP reporter for identification of transfected cells
• Pool of plasmids targeting multiple DSP genomic sites to improve knockout efficiency
• Compatible with delivery by transfection

Design Variants

CRISPRs +/- HDRs

• gRNAs encoded by desmoplakin I/II CRISPR/Cas9 KO Plasmid (h) and desmoplakin I/II CRISPR/Cas9 KO Plasmid (h2) target distinct sites within the DSP locus. One or both targeting designs may be available. See Related Products for availability.
• HDR donor constructs encoded by desmoplakin I/II HDR Plasmid (h) and desmoplakin I/II HDR Plasmid (h2) contain a puromycin resistance cassette and an RFP reporter flanked by DSP homology arms to support homology-directed repair at defined DSP target sites corresponding to the CRISPR/Cas9 KO designs. HDR donor availability may vary. See Related Products for availability.

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