C. elegans ced-12 Functional Gene Editing Service

Service Overview Precision editing of CED-12 in a premier genetic model for cell death research

ced-12 encodes the C. elegans ortholog of mammalian ELMO1. In the signaling branch of the engulfment pathway, CED-12 forms a complex with CED-2 and CED-5 (DOCK180) that activates the CED-10 / Rac GTPase to drive actin dynamics. CED-12 also binds CED-1, providing cross-talk between the two engulfment branches.

ELMO-DOCK complexes are central to cell migration and cancer metastasis. CD BioSciences designs and delivers custom ced-12 alleles — knockout, ELMO-domain point mutants, and fluorescent knockins — for DOCK-ELMO biology and cell-migration research.

About the Target Gene: ced-12 Key biological and practical facts to inform your edit design

Gene symbol	ced-12 (ELMO homolog (engulfment scaffold))
Protein product	CED-12 — ELMO-family scaffold
Mammalian homolog	ELMO1 / ELMO2 / ELMO3 (mammalian ELMO family)
Biological role	Scaffold of the CED-2 / CED-5 / CED-12 signaling complex; cooperates with DOCK180 (CED-5) to activate Rac (CED-10); also binds CED-1 to bridge the two engulfment branches.
Loss-of-function phenotype	Persistent cell corpses; engulfment-defective.
Why edit it	ELMO1 in cell migration, cancer metastasis, and DOCK-ELMO complex biology; phagocytic-cup formation.
Recommended background	N2 (wild type); can be combined with ced-1, ced-2, ced-5, or ced-10 mutants.
Representative allele	Standard knockout (ok / tm / gk series); reference alleles available on request.

Fig. 1 Signaling branch of the C. elegans corpse-clearance pathway. The highlighted (amber) node marks the editing target.

ced-12 at a glance: blocks engulfment of apoptotic corpses; persistent-cell-corpse phenotype easy to score. Editing ced-12 alone is a powerful way to dissect CED-12 function in vivo, with conserved relevance to human ELMO1 biology.

Our ced-12 Editing Strategies Choose the allele that matches your experimental question

Gene Knockout

gRNA-guided Cas9 cutting with NHEJ repair to introduce frameshift indels, generating premature stop codons and null / strong-loss-of-function ced-12 alleles.

Knockin & Tagging

Homology-directed repair (HDR) inserts GFP / HA / FLAG or other tags at the ced-12 locus for endogenous expression and subcellular localization studies.

Point Mutation

Introduce specific amino-acid substitutions to dissect functional domains and separate catalytic from scaffolding roles of CED-12.

Conditional & Reporter Alleles

Build tissue-specific or inducible configurations and reporter lines for spatiotemporal analysis of CED-12 function.

Workflow of Our ced-12 Editing Service From sequence to validated strain in a streamlined pipeline

Strategy Design

Define target (knockout / knockin / point mutation), select gRNA(s) and HDR template, confirm against the latest genome build.

gRNA Synthesis

Design, validate, and synthesize high-specificity guide RNAs targeting the ced-12 locus.

Vector & Template Construction

Build Cas9 / gRNA delivery construct and, for knockin, the homology-arm repair template.

Microinjection

Perform gonadal microinjection of N2 animals with CRISPR components and co-CRISPR selection markers.

Screening & Verification

PCR, Sanger / sequencing, and phenotype confirmation to isolate edited animals and verify alleles.

Delivery & Report

Provide homozygous / balanced ced-12 strains plus a full genotype and methods report.

Key Features Why researchers choose CD BioSciences for C. elegans editing

High-efficiency, optimized CRISPR / Cas9 platform for C. elegans.
Whole-process technical traceability and transparent timelines.
Flexible editing: knockout, knockin, tagging, and point mutation.
Full genotype verification before strain delivery.
One-stop model development integrated with our C. elegans portfolio.
Competitive pricing and short turnaround.
Direct access to scientists and prompt inquiry response.
Reliable, convenient global shipping of frozen stocks.

Applications Where a custom ced-12 model adds value

ELMO1 / DOCK1 complex in cell migration and cancer metastasis.
Cross-talk between the two engulfment branches.
Actin dynamics at the phagocytic cup.
Functional dissection of ELMO domains (PH, ELMO, BH).
DOCK-ELMO-Rac signaling axis.
Innate immune cell function and chemotaxis.

Deliverables What you receive with every project

Genetically verified ced-12 edited strain(s) (homozygous or balanced).
Detailed genotyping report (editing strategy, allele sequence, verification data).
Methods summary and rearing / storage recommendations.
Optional: crosses into reporter or co-CRISPR selection backgrounds.
Optional: phenotype confirmation and imaging support.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of ced-12 allele will I get from a knockout project?

Standard knockout projects deliver a frameshift indel allele predicted to produce a premature stop and a loss-of-function phenotype. We confirm the edit by sequencing and, where relevant, by characteristic phenotype assays.

Can you add a GFP or epitope tag to endogenous ced-12?

Yes. Using HDR with a designed repair template, we can insert GFP, HA, or FLAG tags at the C- or N-terminus while preserving endogenous promoter and regulation.

How long does a typical ced-12 editing project take?

Timelines vary with editing type and validation needs, but our optimized pipeline and co-CRISPR selection typically shorten turnaround versus conventional approaches. Contact us with your design for a project-specific estimate.

Which ced-12 domain mutants are most useful?

The PH domain mediates membrane recruitment, the ELMO domain binds CED-5 / DOCK180, and the BH domain contributes to CED-10 / Rac activation and CED-1 cross-talk. Disrupting each in turn provides a clean functional dissection.

Start Your ced-12 Editing Project

CD BioSciences is committed to convenient, efficient, and cost-effective C. elegans model customization. Tell us your target design — knockout, knockin, tagging, or point mutation — and our scientists will respond with a tailored plan and quote.

References
1. Kim H. M., Colaiácovo M. P. CRISPR-Cas9-guided genome engineering in C. elegans. Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, 2016, 115(1): 31.7.1–31.7.18.
2. Patel M., Margaron Y., Fradet-Turcotte A., Bhat M. ELMO and RGS proteins: emerging targets in cancer cell migration and metastasis. Cell Signal, 2020, 75: 109753.

For research use only.