Project description:We adapted the DiR barcode-based parallel reporter assay systems strategy to systematically identify the SNPs that affect gene expression by modulating activities of regulatory elements. Among 293 SNPs linked with GWAS-identified prostate cancer-risk SNPs, we found 32, 9, and 11 regulatory SNPs in 22Rv1, PC-3, and LNCaP cells. Further mechanism study indicates that one SNP regulates gene expression in prostate cancer malignancy. The DiR system has great potential to advance the functional study of risk SNPs that have associations with polygenic diseases. Our findings hold great promise in benefiting prostate cancer patients with prognostic prediction.
Project description:Genome wide association studies (GWASs) have identified numerous risk loci associated with prostate cancer, yet unraveling their functional significance remains elusive. Leveraging our high-throughput SNPs-seq method, we pinpointed rs4519489 within the multi-ancestry GWAS-discovered 2p25 locus as a potential functional SNP due to its significant allelic differences in protein binding. Here, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of rs4519489 and its associated gene, NOL10, employing diverse cohort data and experimental models. Clinical findings reveal a synergistic effect between rs4519489 genotype and NOL10 expression on prostate cancer prognosis and severity. Through unbiased proteomics screening, we reveal that the risk allele A of rs4519489 exhibits enhanced binding to USF1, a novel oncogenic transcription factor (TF) implicated in prostate cancer progression and prognosis, resulting in elevated NOL10 expression. Furthermore, we elucidate that NOL10 regulates cell cycle pathways, fostering prostate cancer progression. The concurrent expression of NOL10 and USF1 correlates with aggressive prostate cancer characteristics and poorer prognosis. Collectively, our study offers a robust strategy for functional SNP screening and TF identification through high-throughput SNPs-seq and unbiased proteomics, highlighting the rs4519489-USF1- NOL10 regulatory axis as a promising biomarker or therapeutic target for clinical diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.
Project description:We profiled androgen receptor (AR) genomic targets using high-throughput sequencing of chromatin-immunoprecipitated (ChIP) DNA from TMPRSS2-ERG fusion gene positive DUCaP prostate cancer cells. ChIp-seq and microarray gene expression profiling datasets were integrated with the NHGRI GWAS PCa risk SNPs catalog to identify disease susceptibility SNPs localized within functional androgen receptor binding sites (ARBSs). Eighty GWAS index or linked SNPs were found to be localized in ARBSs. Among these rs11891426:T>G in the 7th intron of the melanophilin gene was found located within a novel putative auxiliary AR binding motif, which we found enriched in the neighborhood of canonical androgen responsive elements. T→G exchange attenuated the transcriptional activity of the ARBS in an AR reporter gene assay of prostate cancer cell models. It went also in line with decreased melanophilin protein level in primary prostate tumors with G allele.These results unravel a hidden link between androgen receptor and a functional PCa risk SNP, whose allele alteration affects androgen regulation of its host gene melanophilin . Genomic profile of androgen receptor binding sites of androgen or vehicle treated DUCaP cells using ChIP-seq. IgG precipiated DNAs from both treatments served as controls.
Project description:Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revolutionized the field of cancer genetics, but the causal links between increased genetic risk and onset/progression of disease processes remain to be identified. Here we report the first step in such an endeavor for prostate cancer. We provide a comprehensive annotation of the 77 known risk loci, based upon highly correlated variants in biologically relevant chromatin annotations- we identified 727 such potentially functional SNPs. We also provide a detailed account of possible protein disruption, microRNA target sequence disruption and regulatory response element disruption of all correlated SNPs at r^2≥0.5. Greater than 88% of the 727 SNPs fall within putative enhancers, many of which alter critical residues in the response elements of transcription factors known to be involved in prostate biology. We define as risk enhancers those regions with enhancer chromatin biofeatures in prostate-derived cell lines with prostate-cancer correlated SNPs. To aid in the identification of these enhancers, we performed genomewide ChIP-seq for H3K27-acetylation, a mark of actively engaged enhancer regions, as well as the transcription factor TCF7L2. We analyzed in depth three variants in risk enhancers, two of which show significantly altered androgen sensitivity in LNCaP cells. This includes rs4907792, that is in linkage disequilibrium (r^2=0.91) with an eQTL for NUDT11 (on the X chromosome) in prostate tissue, and rs10486567, the index SNP in intron 3 of the JAZF1 gene on chromosome 7. Rs4907792 is within a critical residue of a strong consensus androgen response element that is interrupted in the protective allele, resulting in a 56% decrease in its androgen sensitivity, whereas rs10486567 affects both NKX3-1 and FOXA-AR motifs where the risk allele results in a 39% increase in basal activity and a 28% fold-increase in androgen stimulated enhancer activity. Identification of such enhancer variants and their potential target genes represents a preliminary step in connecting risk to disease process. ChIP-seq analysis of H3K27Ac in LNCaP charcoal-stripped serum, H3K27Ac in LNCaP charcoal-stripped serum +DHT, TCF7L2 in LNCaP
Project description:We profiled androgen receptor (AR) genomic targets using high-throughput sequencing of chromatin-immunoprecipitated (ChIP) DNA from TMPRSS2-ERG fusion gene positive DUCaP prostate cancer cells. ChIp-seq and microarray gene expression profiling datasets were integrated with the NHGRI GWAS PCa risk SNPs catalog to identify disease susceptibility SNPs localized within functional androgen receptor binding sites (ARBSs). Eighty GWAS index or linked SNPs were found to be localized in ARBSs. Among these rs11891426:T>G in the 7th intron of the melanophilin gene was found located within a novel putative auxiliary AR binding motif, which we found enriched in the neighborhood of canonical androgen responsive elements. T→G exchange attenuated the transcriptional activity of the ARBS in an AR reporter gene assay of prostate cancer cell models. It went also in line with decreased melanophilin protein level in primary prostate tumors with G allele.These results unravel a hidden link between androgen receptor and a functional PCa risk SNP, whose allele alteration affects androgen regulation of its host gene melanophilin .