Accepted Preprint first posted online on 17 February 2009
Journal of Molecular Endocrinology 2009;42:429.
Journal of Molecular Endocrinology (2009) In press DOI: 10.1677/JME-08-0084
© 2009 Society for Endocrinology
Inhibition of MAPK-signaling pathway promotes the interaction of the corepressor SMRT with the human androgen receptor and mediates repression of prostate cancer cells growth in the presence of antiandrogens
Michael Eisold,
Mohammad Asim,
Hanna Eskelinen,
Thomas Linke and
Aria Baniahmad
M Eisold, Human Genetics, University Jena, Jena, Germany
M Asim, Human Genetics, University Jena, Jena, Germany
H Eskelinen, Biosciences, University Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland
T Linke, Human Genetics, University Jena, Jena, Germany
A Baniahmad, Human Genetics, University Jena, Jena, 07745, Germany
Correspondence: Aria Baniahmad, Email: aban{at}mti.uni-jena.de
Abstract
Prostate cancer is one of the most prominent malignancies of elderly males. The growth of normal prostate and prostate cancer (PCa) cells depends on functional androgen receptor (AR). Binding of agonistic ligand enhances the transactivation function of AR and hence promotes the growth of prostate epithelial cells. We have earlier shown that AR antagonistic ligands such as cyproterone acetate (CPA) promote the recruitment of transcriptional corepressors such as SMRT leading to repression of AR transactivation in non-PCa cells. Unfortunately however, in LNCaP PCa cells, CPA functions as a agonist and thereby increases AR transactivation function. Here, we show that activated MEK signaling cascade inhibits functional recruitment of corepressor SMRT to CPA-bound AR in PCa cells. Chemical blockade of MEK kinase using a specific inhibitor U0126 increases the interaction and hence repression of AR by the corepressor SMRT in LNCaP PCa cells. This inhibition also results in enhanced antagonistic behavior of CPA as assessed by reporter and cell growth assays. Moreover, the growth of LNCaP cells stably overexpressing SMRT was more robustly inhibited in presence of CPA and U1026. In line with this, the growth rate of LNCaP cells was decelerated in the presence of both CPA and U0126. This suggests that activated MEK signaling pathway attenuates the functional recruitment of corepressor SMRT to AR induced by antagonists and thus indicates the important role of corepressors in mediating repression of both AR transactivation and prostate cancer cell growth by antagonists. Further, these findings suggest that combining receptor antagonists with signaling inhibitors could be a beneficial approach for PCa treatment.
Copyright © 2009 by the Society for Endocrinology.