A screen for transcription factor targets of glycogen synthase kinase-3 highlights an inverse correlation of NF?B and androgen receptor signaling in prostate cancer.
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ABSTRACT: Expression of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 (GSK-3) is elevated in prostate cancer and its inhibition reduces prostate cancer cell proliferation, in part by reducing androgen receptor (AR) signaling. However, GSK-3 inhibition can also activate signals that promote cell proliferation and survival, which may preclude the use of GSK-3 inhibitors in the clinic. To identify such signals in prostate cancer, we screened for changes in transcription factor target DNA binding activity in GSK-3-silenced cells. Among the alterations was a reduction in AR DNA target binding, as predicted from previous studies, and an increase in NF?B DNA target binding. Consistent with the latter, gene silencing of GSK-3 or inhibition using the GSK-3 inhibitor CHIR99021 increased basal NF?B transcriptional activity. Activation of NF?B was accompanied by an increase in the level of the NF?B family member RelB. Conversely, silencing RelB reduced activation of NF?B by CHIR99021. Furthermore, the reduction of prostate cancer cell proliferation by CHIR99021 was potentiated by inhibition of NF?B signaling using the IKK inhibitor PS1145. Finally, stratification of human prostate tumor gene expression data for GSK3 revealed an inverse correlation between NF?B-dependent and androgen-dependent gene expression, consistent with the results from the transcription factor target DNA binding screen. In addition, there was a correlation between expression of androgen-repressed NF?B target genes and reduced survival of patients with metastatic prostate cancer. These findings highlight an association between GSK-3/AR and NF?B signaling and its potential clinical importance in metastatic prostate cancer.
SUBMITTER: Campa VM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4226675 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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