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AR intragenic deletions linked to androgen receptor splice variant expression and activity in models of prostate cancer progression.

ABSTRACT: Reactivation of the androgen receptor (AR) during androgen depletion therapy (ADT) underlies castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPCa). Alternative splicing of the AR gene and synthesis of constitutively active COOH-terminally truncated AR variants lacking the AR ligand-binding domain has emerged as an important mechanism of ADT resistance in CRPCa. In a previous study, we demonstrated that altered AR splicing in CRPCa 22Rv1 cells was linked to a 35-kb intragenic tandem duplication of AR exon 3 and flanking sequences. In this study, we demonstrate that complex patterns of AR gene copy number imbalances occur in PCa cell lines, xenografts and clinical specimens. To investigate whether these copy number imbalances reflect AR gene rearrangements that could be linked to splicing disruptions, we carried out a detailed analysis of AR gene structure in the LuCaP 86.2 and CWR-R1 models of CRPCa. By deletion-spanning PCR, we discovered a 8579-bp deletion of AR exons 5, 6 and 7 in the LuCaP 86.2 xenograft, which provides a rational explanation for synthesis of the truncated AR v567es AR variant in this model. Similarly, targeted resequencing of the AR gene in CWR-R1 cells led to the discovery of a 48-kb deletion in AR intron 1. This intragenic deletion marked a specific CWR-R1 cell population with enhanced expression of the truncated AR-V7/AR3 variant, a high level of androgen-independent AR transcriptional activity and rapid androgen independent growth. Together, these data demonstrate that structural alterations in the AR gene are linked to stable gain-of-function splicing alterations in CRPCa.

SUBMITTER: Li Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3337879 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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AR intragenic deletions linked to androgen receptor splice variant expression and activity in models of prostate cancer progression.

Li Y Y Hwang T H TH Oseth L A LA Hauge A A Vessella R L RL Schmechel S C SC Hirsch B B Beckman K B KB Silverstein K A KA Dehm S M SM

Oncogene 20120123 45

Reactivation of the androgen receptor (AR) during androgen depletion therapy (ADT) underlies castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPCa). Alternative splicing of the AR gene and synthesis of constitutively active COOH-terminally truncated AR variants lacking the AR ligand-binding domain has emerged as an important mechanism of ADT resistance in CRPCa. In a previous study, we demonstrated that altered AR splicing in CRPCa 22Rv1 cells was linked to a 35-kb intragenic tandem duplication of AR exon ...[more]

PMID: 22266865

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Project description:The androgen receptor (AR) plays a key role in progression to incurable androgen-ablation resistant prostate cancer (PCA). We have identified three novel AR splice variants lacking the ligand binding domain (designated as AR3, AR4 and AR5) in hormone insensitive PCA cells. AR3, one of the major splice variants expressed in human prostate tissues, is constitutively active and its transcriptional activity is not regulated by androgens or antiandrogens. Immunohistochemistry analysis on tissue microarrays containing 429 human prostate tissue samples shows that AR3 is significantly upregulated during PCA progression and AR3 expression level is correlated with the risk of tumor recurrence after radical prostatectomy. Overexpression of AR3 confers ablation-independent growth of PCA cells while specific knock-down of AR3 expression (without altering AR level) in hormone resistant PCA cells attenuates their growth under androgen-depleted conditions in both cell culture and xenograft models, suggesting an indispensable role of AR3 in ablation-independent growth of PCA cells. Furthermore, AR3 may play a distinct yet essential role in ablation-independent growth through regulating a unique set of genes including AKT1, which are not regulated by the prototype AR. Our data suggest that aberrant expression of AR splice variants may be a novel mechanism underlying ablation-independence during PCA progression and AR3 may serve as a prognostic marker to predict patient outcome in response to hormonal therapy. Given that these novel AR splice variants are not inhibited by currently available anti-androgen drugs, development of new drugs targeting these AR isoforms may potentially be effective for treatment of ablation-resistant PCA. Total RNA was extracted from CWR-R1 and 22Rv1 cells treated with shAR3-1, shARa and the scrambled shRNA control, respectively. Each of CWR-R1 and 22Rv1 cells treated with shAR3-1 was compared with the scrambled shRNA control. The same experiments were performed for the cells treated with shARa.

Dataset Information

AR intragenic deletions linked to androgen receptor splice variant expression and activity in models of prostate cancer progression.

Publications

AR intragenic deletions linked to androgen receptor splice variant expression and activity in models of prostate cancer progression.

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