C. elegans ced-5 Functional Gene Editing Service

Service Overview Precision editing of CED-5 in a premier genetic model for cell death research

ced-5 encodes the C. elegans ortholog of mammalian DOCK1 (DOCK180), a non-conventional GEF that activates Rac GTPases. In the signaling branch of the engulfment pathway, CED-5 acts in a complex with CED-2 and CED-12 to drive CED-10/Rac activation and the actin reorganization required for corpse internalization.

DOCK proteins are central regulators of cell migration, immune-cell function, and cancer metastasis in mammals. CD BioSciences designs and delivers custom ced-5 alleles — knockout, GEF-domain point mutants, and fluorescent knockins — for DOCK-Rac biology and metastasis research.

About the Target Gene: ced-5 Key biological and practical facts to inform your edit design

Gene symbol	ced-5 (Dock180 homolog, engulfment GEF)
Protein product	CED-5 — Dock180-family Rac GEF
Mammalian homolog	DOCK1 / DOCK2 / DOCK5 (DOCK180 family)
Biological role	GEF for the CED-10 / Rac GTPase; core of the CED-2 / CED-5 / CED-12 signaling complex that drives actin dynamics for engulfment.
Loss-of-function phenotype	Persistent cell corpses; engulfment-defective; cell-migration defects in some contexts.
Why edit it	DOCK1 family in immunity, cell migration, and cancer metastasis; phagocytic-cup formation.
Recommended background	N2 (wild type); can be combined with ced-1, ced-2, ced-10, or ced-12 mutants.
Representative allele	Standard knockout (ok / tm / gk series); n1812 is a canonical reference allele.

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

ced-5 at a glance: blocks engulfment of apoptotic corpses; persistent-cell-corpse phenotype easy to score. Editing ced-5 alone is a powerful way to dissect CED-5 function in vivo, with conserved relevance to human DOCK1 biology.

Our ced-5 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-5 alleles.

Knockin & Tagging

Homology-directed repair (HDR) inserts GFP / HA / FLAG or other tags at the ced-5 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-5.

Conditional & Reporter Alleles

Build tissue-specific or inducible configurations and reporter lines for spatiotemporal analysis of CED-5 function.

Workflow of Our ced-5 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-5 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-5 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-5 model adds value

DOCK1 family activation of Rac GTPases.
Cell migration and chemotaxis in development and immunity.
Cancer invasion and metastasis modeling.
Phagocytic-cup formation and actin dynamics.
DOCK2 / DOCK5 functional analogies in immune cells.
Cross-talk between engulfment and developmental migration.

Deliverables What you receive with every project

Genetically verified ced-5 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-5 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-5?

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-5 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.

Can I separate CED-5 GEF activity from scaffolding?

Yes. We routinely engineer DHR2-domain point mutations that abolish Rac-GEF activity while leaving the protein expressed and able to scaffold. This is a powerful tool to dissect GEF-dependent versus -independent functions of CED-5 / DOCK1.

Start Your ced-5 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. Gadea G., Blangy A. Dock-family exchange factors in cell migration and disease. Small GTPases, 2014, 5(2): e972800.

For research use only.