The impact of the HSPA2 gene knockout on transcriptome profile in immortalized epidermal keratinocytes (HaCaT line)

The specific functional features of the epidermal keratinocytes are determined by the activity of many genes. The aim of the project was to characterize the role of HSPA2, a member of the HSPA chaperone family (HSP70), in human epidermal keratinocytes. The inactivation of the HSPA2 gene in the HaCaT line of spontaneously immortalized epidermal keratinocytes was performed by CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system. Next, the effect of modifications on the transcriptomic profile of cells growing in a three-dimensional model of reconstructed human epidermis in vitro was investigated. The cells were grown at air-liquid interface culture on collagen-fibroblast matrix to achieve maximal level of HaCaT differentiation in RHE system.