Shorter CAG repeat in the AR gene is associated with atypical hyperplasia and breast carcinoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

De Abreu, Francine Blumental; Pirolo, Leandro Júnior; Canevari, Renata de Azevedo

2007-01-01

BACKGROUND: Previous reports into the role of [CAG]n repeat lengths in the androgen receptor (AR) gene indicate that these may play an important part in the development and progression of breast cancer, however, knowledge regarding benign breast lesions is limited. PATIENTS AND METHODS: PCR-based...

Study on predictive role of AR and EGFR family genes with response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced breast cancer in Indian women.

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Singh, L C; Chakraborty, Anurupa; Mishra, Ashwani K; Devi, Thoudam Regina; Sugandhi, Nidhi; Chintamani, Chintamani; Bhatnagar, Dinesh; Kapur, Sujala; Saxena, Sunita

2012-06-01

Locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) remains a clinical challenge as the majority of patients with this diagnosis develop distant metastases despite appropriate therapy. We analyzed expression of steroid and growth hormone receptor genes as well as gene associated with metabolism of chemotherapeutic drugs in locally advanced breast cancer before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) to study whether there is a change in gene expression induced by chemotherapy and whether such changes are associated with tumor response or non-response. Fifty patients were included with locally advanced breast cancer treated with cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, 5-fluorouracil (CAF)-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery. Total RNA was extracted from 50 match samples of pre- and post-NACT tumor tissues. RNA expression levels of epidermal growth factor receptor family genes including EGFR, ERBB2, ERBB3, androgen receptor (AR), and multidrug-resistance gene 1 (MDR1) were determined by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Responders show significantly high levels of pre-NACT AR gene expression (P = 0.016), which reduces following NACT (P = 0.008), and hence can serve as a useful tool for the prediction of the success of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in individual cancer patients with locally advanced breast carcinoma. Moreover, a significant post-therapeutic increase in the expression levels of EGFR and MDR1 gene in responders (P = 0.026 and P < 0.001) as well as in non-responders (P = 0.055, P = 0.001) suggests that expression of these genes changes during therapy but they do not have any impact on tumor response, whereas a post-therapeutic reduction was observed in AR in responders. This indicates an independent predictive role of AR with response to NACT.

Update of the androgen receptor gene mutations database.

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Gottlieb, B; Beitel, L K; Lumbroso, R; Pinsky, L; Trifiro, M

1999-01-01

The current version of the androgen receptor (AR) gene mutations database is described. The total number of reported mutations has risen from 309 to 374 during the past year. We have expanded the database by adding information on AR-interacting proteins; and we have improved the database by identifying those mutation entries that have been updated. Mutations of unknown significance have now been reported in both the 5' and 3' untranslated regions of the AR gene, and in individuals who are somatic mosaics constitutionally. In addition, single nucleotide polymorphisms, including silent mutations, have been discovered in normal individuals and in individuals with male infertility. A mutation hotspot associated with prostatic cancer has been identified in exon 5. The database is available on the internet (http://www.mcgill.ca/androgendb/), from EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute (ftp.ebi.ac.uk/pub/databases/androgen), or as a Macintosh FilemakerPro or Word file (MC33@musica.mcgill.ca). Copyright 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Cerebral A1 adenosine receptors (A1AR) in liver cirrhosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boy, Christian; Meyer, Philipp T.; Kircheis, Gerald; Haussinger, Dieter; Holschbach, Marcus H.; Coenen, Heinz H.; Herzog, Hans; Elmenhorst, David; Kaiser, Hans J.; Zilles, Karl; Bauer, Andreas

2008-01-01

The cerebral mechanisms underlying hepatic encephalopathy (HE) are poorly understood. Adenosine, a neuromodulator that pre- and postsynaptically modulates neuronal excitability and release of classical neurotransmitters via A 1 adenosine receptors (A 1 AR), is likely to be involved. The present study investigates changes of cerebral A 1 AR binding in cirrhotic patients by means of positron emission tomography (PET) and [ 18 F]CPFPX, a novel selective A 1 AR antagonist. PET was performed in cirrhotic patients (n = 10) and healthy volunteers (n = 10). Quantification of in vivo receptor density was done by Logan's non-invasive graphical analysis (pons as reference region). The outcome parameter was the apparent binding potential (aBP, proportional to B max /K D ). Cortical and subcortical regions showed lower A 1 AR binding in cirrhotic patients than in controls. The aBP changes reached statistical significance vs healthy controls (p 1 AR binding may further aggravate neurotransmitter imbalance at the synaptic cleft in cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy. Different pathomechanisms may account for these alterations including decrease of A 1 AR density or affinity, as well as blockade of the A 1 AR by endogenous adenosine or exogenous xanthines. (orig.)

Testosterone increases renal anti-aging klotho gene expression via the androgen receptor-mediated pathway.

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Hsu, Shih-Che; Huang, Shih-Ming; Lin, Shih-Hua; Ka, Shuk-Man; Chen, Ann; Shih, Meng-Fu; Hsu, Yu-Juei

2014-12-01

Gender is known to be associated with longevity and oestrogen administration induced longevity-associated gene expression is one of the potential mechanisms underlying the benefits of oestrogen on lifespan, whereas the role of testosterone in the regulation of longevity-associated gene expressions remains largely unclear. The klotho gene, predominantly expressed in the kidney, has recently been discovered to be an aging suppressor gene. In the present study, we investigated the regulatory effects of testosterone on renal klotho gene expression in vivo and in vitro. In testosterone-administered mouse kidney and NRK-52E cells, increased klotho expression was accompanied by the up-regulation of the nuclear androgen receptor (AR). Overexpression of AR enhanced the expression of klotho mRNA and protein. Conversely, testosterone-induced klotho expression was attenuated in the presence of flutamide, an AR antagonist. A reporter assay and a chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay demonstrated that AR directly binds to the klotho promoter via androgen response elements (AREs) which reconfirmed its importance for AR binding via the element mutation. In summary, our study demonstrates that testosterone up-regulates anti-aging klotho together with AR expression in the kidney in vivo and in vitro by recruiting AR on to the AREs of the klotho promoter.

The phytochemical 3,3'-diindolylmethane decreases expression of AR-controlled DNA damage repair genes through repressive chromatin modifications and is associated with DNA damage in prostate cancer cells.

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Palomera-Sanchez, Zoraya; Watson, Gregory W; Wong, Carmen P; Beaver, Laura M; Williams, David E; Dashwood, Roderick H; Ho, Emily

2017-09-01

Androgen receptor (AR) is a transcription factor involved in normal prostate physiology and prostate cancer (PCa) development. 3,3'-Diindolylmethane (DIM) is a promising phytochemical agent against PCa that affects AR activity and epigenetic regulators in PCa cells. However, whether DIM suppresses PCa via epigenetic regulation of AR target genes is unknown. We assessed epigenetic regulation of AR target genes in LNCaP PCa cells and showed that DIM treatment led to epigenetic suppression of AR target genes involved in DNA repair (PARP1, MRE11, DNA-PK). Decreased expression of these genes was accompanied by an increase in repressive chromatin marks, loss of AR occupancy and EZH2 recruitment to their regulatory regions. Decreased DNA repair gene expression was associated with an increase in DNA damage (γH2Ax) and up-regulation of genomic repeat elements LINE1 and α-satellite. Our results suggest that DIM suppresses AR-dependent gene transcription through epigenetic modulation, leading to DNA damage and genome instability in PCa cells. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Stilbene induced inhibition of androgen receptor dimerization: implications for AR and ARΔLBD-signalling in human prostate cancer cells.

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Wolfgang Streicher

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Advanced castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC is often characterized by an increase of C-terminally truncated, constitutively active androgen receptor (AR variants. Due to the absence of a ligand binding domain located in the AR-C-terminus, these receptor variants (also termed ARΔLBD are unable to respond to all classical forms of endocrine treatments like surgical/chemical castration and/or application of anti-androgens. METHODOLOGY: In this study we tested the effects of the naturally occurring stilbene resveratrol (RSV and (E-4-(2, 6-Difluorostyryl-N, N-dimethylaniline, a fluorinated dialkylaminostilbene (FIDAS on AR- and ARΔLBD in prostate cancer cells. The ability of the compounds to modulate transcriptional activity of AR and the ARΔLBD-variant Q640X was shown by reporter gene assays. Expression of endogenous AR and ARΔLBD mRNA and protein levels were determined by qRT-PCR and Western Blot. Nuclear translocation of AR-molecules was analyzed by fluorescence microscopy. AR and ARΔLBD/Q640X homo-/heterodimer formation was assessed by mammalian two hybrid assays. Biological activity of both compounds in vivo was demonstrated using a chick chorioallantoic membrane xenograft assay. RESULTS: The stilbenes RSV and FIDAS were able to significantly diminish AR and Q640X-signalling. Successful inhibition of the Q640X suggests that RSV and FIDAS are not interfering with the AR-ligand binding domain like all currently available anti-hormonal drugs. Repression of AR and Q640X-signalling by RSV and FIDAS in prostate cancer cells was caused by an inhibition of the AR and/or Q640X-dimerization. Although systemic bioavailability of both stilbenes is very low, both compounds were also able to downregulate tumor growth and AR-signalling in vivo. CONCLUSION: RSV and FIDAS are able to inhibit the dimerization of AR and ARΔLBD molecules suggesting that stilbenes might serve as lead compounds for a novel generation of AR-inhibitors.

CD147 modulates androgen receptor activity through the Akt/Gsk-3β/β-catenin/AR pathway in prostate cancer cells.

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Fang, Fang; Qin, Yingxin; Hao, Feng; Li, Qiang; Zhang, Wei; Zhao, Chen; Chen, Shuang; Zhao, Liangzhong; Wang, Liguo; Cai, Jianhui

2016-08-01

The androgen signaling pathway serves an important role in the development of prostate cancer. β-Catenin is an androgen receptor (AR) cofactor and augments AR signaling. Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), a target of phosphorylated serine/threonine protein kinase B (p-Akt), regulates β-catenin stability. In addition, β-catenin, a coregulator of AR, physically interacts with AR and enhances AR-mediated target gene transcription. The multifunctional glycoprotein cluster of differentiation (CD) 147 is highly expressed on the cell surface of the majority of cancer cells, and it promotes tumor invasion, metastasis and growth. In the present study, the molecular effects of CD147 on the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin/AR signaling network were investigated in LNCaP cells. Using short hairpin-mediated RNA knockdown of CD147 in LNCaP cells, it was demonstrated that downregulation of CD147 resulted in inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK-3β, and then promoted degeneration of β-catenin and reduced nuclear accumulation of β-catenin. In addition, immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that CD147 downregulation decreased the formation of a complex between β-catenin and AR. It was shown that CD147 knockdown suppressed the expression of the AR target gene prostate-specific antigen and the growth of AR-positive LNCaP cells. Furthermore, inhibition of PI3K/Akt with LY294002 augmented CD147-mediated function. The present study indicates that the PI3K/Akt pathway may facilitate CD147-mediated activation of the AR pathway.

Interrelation of androgen receptor and miR-30a and miR-30a function in ER-, PR-, AR+ MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells.

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Lyu, Shuhua; Liu, Han; Liu, Xia; Liu, Shan; Wang, Yahong; Yu, Qi; Niu, Yun

2017-10-01

The association between androgen-induced androgen receptor (AR) activating signal and microRNA (miR)-30a was investigated, as well as the function of miR-30a in estrogen receptor-negative (ER - ), progesterone receptor-negative (PR - ), and AR-positive (AR + ) MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells. Androgen-induced AR activating signal upregulated the expression of AR, and downregulated the expression of miR-30a, b and c. Bioinformatics analysis indicated a putative miR-30a, b and c binding site in the 3'-untranslated region of AR mRNA. It was confirmed that the AR gene is a direct target of miR-30a, whereas AR does not target the miR-30a promoter, and AR activating signal may indirectly downregulate miR-30a through other cell signaling pathways. In this positive feedback mechanism AR is then upregulated through miR-30a. Overexpression of miR-30a inhibited cell proliferation, whereas inhibition of miR-30a expression by specific antisense oligonucleotides, increased cell growth. Previously, androgen-induced AR activating signal was demonstrated to inhibit cell proliferation in ER - , PR - and AR + MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells, but AR activating signal downregulated the expression of miR-30a, relieving the inhibition of MDA-MB-453 cell growth. Therefore, in MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells, miR-30a has two different functions regarding cell growth: Inhibition of cell proliferation through a positive feedback signaling pathway; and the relative promotion of cell proliferation through downregulation of miR-30a. Thus, the association between AR activating signal and microRNAs is complex, and microRNAs may possess different functions due to different signaling pathways. Although the results of the present study were obtained in one cell line, they contribute to subsequent studies on ER - , PR - and AR + breast cancer.

Direct detection of the AR-E211 G > A gene polymorphism from blood and tissue samples without DNA isolation.

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Reptova, Silvie; Trtkova, Katerina Smesny; Kolar, Zdenek

2014-04-01

The pathogenesis of prostate cancer (CaP) involves alterations in a gene structure of the androgen receptor (AR). The single nucleotide polymorphism AR-E211 G > A localized in exon 1 of the AR gene (G1733A) was detected using direct polymerase chain reaction and restriction digestion (PCR-RFLP) method on blood and tissue samples without prior DNA isolation. We used blood samples of patients with a diagnosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or CaP. From monitored group of CaP patients were selected specimen in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks with morphology of BPH and CaP. The main objective of our study was to develop a method based the direct PCR-RFLP analysis from blood and tissue without prior DNA isolation for faster genotyping analysis of a large number of samples. We found no statistically significant differences in allelic % of the AR-E211 G > A polymorphism between BPH and CaP patients (p ≤ 0.8462). Genotyping of the AR-E211 G > A variant in blood was not identical with tumor tissue genotyping analysis. Significant agreement between blood and tissue AR-E211 G > A polymorphism only in non-tumor tissue focus was confirmed. Although we analyzed a limited number of the tissue samples, we suppose that a presence of the minor allele A may be associated with cancer transformation-induced changes of the modified AR gene.

Prostate Cancer Cells Express More Androgen Receptor (AR) Following Androgen Deprivation, Improving Recognition by AR-Specific T Cells.

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Olson, Brian M; Gamat, Melissa; Seliski, Joseph; Sawicki, Thomas; Jeffery, Justin; Ellis, Leigh; Drake, Charles G; Weichert, Jamey; McNeel, Douglas G

2017-12-01

Androgen deprivation is the primary therapy for recurrent prostate cancer, and agents targeting the androgen receptor (AR) pathway continue to be developed. Because androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) has immmunostimulatory effects as well as direct antitumor effects, AR-targeted therapies have been combined with other anticancer therapies, including immunotherapies. Here, we sought to study whether an antigen-specific mechanism of resistance to ADT (overexpression of the AR) may result in enhanced AR-specific T-cell immune recognition, and whether this might be strategically combined with an antitumor vaccine targeting the AR. Androgen deprivation increased AR expression in human and murine prostate tumor cells in vitro and in vivo The increased expression persisted over time. Increased AR expression was associated with recognition and cytolytic activity by AR-specific T cells. Furthermore, ADT combined with vaccination, specifically a DNA vaccine encoding the ligand-binding domain of the AR, led to improved antitumor responses as measured by tumor volumes and delays in the emergence of castrate-resistant prostate tumors in two murine prostate cancer models (Myc-CaP and prostate-specific PTEN-deficient mice). Together, these data suggest that ADT combined with AR-directed immunotherapy targets a major mechanism of resistance, overexpression of the AR. This combination may be more effective than ADT combined with other immunotherapeutic approaches. Cancer Immunol Res; 5(12); 1074-85. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

Peripheral Androgen Receptor Gene Suppression Rescues Disease in Mouse Models of Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew P. Lieberman

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA is caused by the polyglutamine androgen receptor (polyQ-AR, a protein expressed by both lower motor neurons and skeletal muscle. Although viewed as a motor neuronopathy, data from patients and mouse models suggest that muscle contributes to disease pathogenesis. Here, we tested this hypothesis using AR113Q knockin and human bacterial artificial chromosome/clone (BAC transgenic mice that express the full-length polyQ-AR and display androgen-dependent weakness, muscle atrophy, and early death. We developed antisense oligonucleotides that suppressed AR gene expression in the periphery but not the CNS after subcutaneous administration. Suppression of polyQ-AR in the periphery rescued deficits in muscle weight, fiber size, and grip strength, reversed changes in muscle gene expression, and extended the lifespan of mutant males. We conclude that polyQ-AR expression in the periphery is an important contributor to pathology in SBMA mice and that peripheral administration of therapeutics should be explored for SBMA patients.

CNPY2 inhibits MYLIP-mediated AR protein degradation in prostate cancer cells.

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Ito, Saya; Ueno, Akihisa; Ueda, Takashi; Nakagawa, Hideo; Taniguchi, Hidefumi; Kayukawa, Naruhiro; Fujihara-Iwata, Atsuko; Hongo, Fumiya; Okihara, Koji; Ukimura, Osamu

2018-04-03

The androgen receptor (AR) is a ligand-dependent transcription factor that promotes prostate cancer (PC) cell growth through control of target gene expression. This report suggests that Canopy FGF signaling regulator 2 (CNPY2) controls AR protein levels in PC cells. We found that AR was ubiquitinated by an E3 ubiquitin ligase, myosin regulatory light chain interacting protein (MYLIP) and then degraded through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. CNPY2 decreased the ubiquitination activity of MYLIP by inhibition of interaction between MYLIP and UBE2D1, an E2 ubiquitin ligase. CNPY2 up-regulated gene expression of AR target genes such as KLK3 gene which encodes the prostate specific antigen (PSA) and promoted cell growth of PC cells. The cell growth inhibition by CNPY2 knockdown was rescued by AR overexpression. Furthermore, positive correlation of expression levels between CNPY2 and AR/AR target genes was observed in tissue samples from human prostate cancer patients. Together, these results suggested that CNPY2 promoted cell growth of PC cells by inhibition of AR protein degradation through MYLIP-mediated AR ubiquitination.

Epigenetic modulation of AR gene expression in prostate cancer DU145 cells with the combination of sodium butyrate and 5'-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine.

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Fialova, Barbora; Luzna, Petra; Gursky, Jan; Langova, Katerina; Kolar, Zdenek; Trtkova, Katerina Smesny

2016-10-01

The androgen receptor (AR) plays an essential role in the development and progression of prostate cancer. Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a consequence of androgen deprivation therapy. Unchecked CRPC followed by metastasis is lethal. Some CRPCs show decreased AR gene expression due to epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation and histone deacetylation. The aim of this study was to epigenetically modulate the methylated state of the AR gene leading to targeted demethylation and AR gene expression in androgen-independent human prostate cancer DU145 cell line, representing the CRPC model with very low or undetectable AR levels. The cell treatment was based on single and combined applications of two epigenetic inhibitors, sodium butyrate (NaB) as histone deacetylases inhibitor and 5'-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (Aza-dC) as DNA methyltransferases inhibitor. We found that the Aza-dC in combination with NaB may help reduce the toxicity of higher NaB concentrations in cancer cells. In normal RWPE-1 cells and even stronger in cancer DU145 cells, the combined treatment induced both AR gene expression on the mRNA level and increased histone H4 acetylation in AR gene promoter. Also activation and maintenance of G2/M cell cycle arrest and better survival in normal RWPE-1 cells compared to cancer DU145 cells were observed after the treatments. These results imply the selective toxicity effect of both inhibitors used and their potentially more effective combined use in the epigenetic therapy of prostate cancer patients.

The transcriptional programme of the androgen receptor (AR) in prostate cancer.

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Lamb, Alastair D; Massie, Charlie E; Neal, David E

2014-03-01

The androgen receptor (AR) is essential for normal prostate and prostate cancer cell growth. AR transcriptional activity is almost always maintained even in hormone relapsed prostate cancer (HRPC) in the absence of normal levels of circulating testosterone. Current molecular techniques, such as chromatin-immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq), have permitted identification of direct AR-binding sites in cell lines and human tissue with a distinct coordinate network evident in HRPC. The effectiveness of novel agents, such as abiraterone acetate (suppresses adrenal androgens) or enzalutamide (MDV3100, potent AR antagonist), in treating advanced prostate cancer underlines the on-going critical role of the AR throughout all stages of the disease. Persistent AR activity in advanced disease regulates cell cycle activity, steroid biosynthesis and anabolic metabolism in conjunction with regulatory co-factors, such as the E2F family, c-Myc and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) transcription factors. Further treatment approaches must target these other factors. © 2013 The Authors. BJU International © 2013 BJU International.

Characterization of a novel androgen receptor (AR) coregulator RIPK1 and related chemicals that suppress AR-mediated prostate cancer growth via peptide and chemical screening.

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Hsu, Cheng-Lung; Liu, Jai-Shin; Lin, Ting-Wei; Chang, Ying-Hsu; Kuo, Yung-Chia; Lin, An-Chi; Ting, Huei-Ju; Pang, See-Tong; Lee, Li-Yu; Ma, Wen-Lung; Lin, Chun-Cheng; Wu, Wen-Guey

2017-09-19

Using bicalutamide-androgen receptor (AR) DNA binding domain-ligand binding domain as bait, we observed enrichment of FxxFY motif-containing peptides. Protein database searches revealed the presence of receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) harboring one FxxFY motif. RIPK1 interacted directly with AR and suppressed AR transactivation in a dose-dependent manner. Domain mapping experiments showed that the FxxFY motif in RIPK1 is critical for interactions with AR and the death domain of RIPK1 plays a crucial role in its inhibitory effect on transactivation. In terms of tissue expression, RIPK1 levels were markedly higher in benign prostate hyperplasia and non-cancerous tissue regions relative to the tumor area. With the aid of computer modeling for screening of chemicals targeting activation function 2 (AF-2) of AR, we identified oxadiazole derivatives as good candidates and subsequently generated a small library of these compounds. A number of candidates could effectively suppress AR transactivation and AR-related functions in vitro and in vivo with tolerable toxicity via inhibiting AR-peptide, AR-coregulator and AR N-C interactions. Combination of these chemicals with antiandrogen had an additive suppressive effect on AR transcriptional activity. Our collective findings may pave the way in creating new strategies for the development and design of anti-AR drugs.

Differentially methylated genes and androgen receptor re-expression in small cell prostate carcinomas.

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Kleb, Brittany; Estécio, Marcos R H; Zhang, Jiexin; Tzelepi, Vassiliki; Chung, Woonbok; Jelinek, Jaroslav; Navone, Nora M; Tahir, Salahaldin; Marquez, Victor E; Issa, Jean-Pierre; Maity, Sankar; Aparicio, Ana

2016-03-03

Small cell prostate carcinoma (SCPC) morphology is rare at initial diagnosis but often emerges during prostate cancer progression and portends a dismal prognosis. It does not express androgen receptor (AR) or respond to hormonal therapies. Clinically applicable markers for its early detection and treatment with effective chemotherapy are needed. Our studies in patient tumor-derived xenografts (PDX) revealed that AR-negative SCPC (AR(-)SCPC) expresses neural development genes instead of the prostate luminal epithelial genes characteristic of AR-positive castration-resistant adenocarcinomas (AR(+)ADENO). We hypothesized that the differences in cellular lineage programs are reflected in distinct epigenetic profiles. To address this hypothesis, we compared the DNA methylation profiles of AR(-) and AR(+) PDX using methylated CpG island amplification and microarray (MCAM) analysis and identified a set of differentially methylated promoters, validated in PDX and corresponding donor patient samples. We used the Illumina 450K platform to examine additional regions of the genome and the correlation between the DNA methylation profiles of the PDX and their corresponding patient tumors. Struck by the low frequency of AR promoter methylation in the AR(-)SCPC, we investigated this region's specific histone modification patterns by chromatin immunoprecipitation. We found that the AR promoter was enriched in silencing histone modifications (H3K27me3 and H3K9me2) and that EZH2 inhibition with 3-deazaneplanocin A (DZNep) resulted in AR expression and growth inhibition in AR(-)SCPC cell lines. We conclude that the epigenome of AR(-) is distinct from that of AR(+) castration-resistant prostate carcinomas, and that the AR(-) phenotype can be reversed with epigenetic drugs.

Bacillus cereus AR156 primes induced systemic resistance by suppressing miR825/825* and activating defense-related genes in Arabidopsis.

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Niu, Dongdong; Xia, Jing; Jiang, Chunhao; Qi, Beibei; Ling, Xiaoyu; Lin, Siyuan; Zhang, Weixiong; Guo, Jianhua; Jin, Hailing; Zhao, Hongwei

2016-04-01

Small RNAs play an important role in plant immune responses. However, their regulatory function in induced systemic resistance (ISR) is nascent. Bacillus cereus AR156 is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium that induces ISR in Arabidopsis against bacterial infection. Here, by comparing small RNA profiles of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000-infected Arabidopsis with and without AR156 pretreatment, we identified a group of Arabidopsis microRNAs (miRNAs) that are differentially regulated by AR156 pretreatment. miR825 and miR825* are two miRNA generated from a single miRNA gene. Northern blot analysis indicated that they were significantly downregulated in Pst DC3000-infected plants pretreated with AR156, in contrast to the plants without AR156 pretreatment. miR825 targets two ubiquitin-protein ligases, while miR825* targets toll-interleukin-like receptor (TIR)-nucleotide binding site (NBS) and leucine-rich repeat (LRR) type resistance (R) genes. The expression of these target genes negatively correlated with the expression of miR825 and miR825*. Moreover, transgenic plants showing reduced expression of miR825 and miR825* displayed enhanced resistance to Pst DC3000 infection, whereas transgenic plants overexpressing miR825 and miR825* were more susceptible. Taken together, our data indicates that Bacillus cereus AR156 pretreatment primes ISR to Pst infection by suppressing miR825 and miR825* and activating the defense related genes they targeted. © 2015 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

MEIS1 functions as a potential AR negative regulator

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Cui, Liang [Department of Urology, Chinese PLA Medical School/Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853 (China); Department of Urology, Civil Aviation General Hospital/Civil Aviation Medical College of Peking University, Beijing 100123 (China); Li, Mingyang [Department of Gastroenterology, Nan Lou Division, Chinese PLA Medical School/Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853 (China); Feng, Fan [Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Command, Shenyang 110016 (China); Yang, Yutao [Beijing Institute for Neuroscience, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069 (China); Hang, Xingyi [National Scientific Data Sharing Platform for Population and Health, Beijing 100730 (China); Cui, Jiajun, E-mail: cuijn@ucmail.uc.edu [Department of Cancer and Cell Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267 (United States); Gao, Jiangping, E-mail: jpgao@163.com [Department of Urology, Chinese PLA Medical School/Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853 (China)

2014-10-15

The androgen receptor (AR) plays critical roles in human prostate carcinoma progression and transformation. However, the activation of AR is regulated by co-regulators. MEIS1 protein, the homeodomain transcription factor, exhibited a decreased level in poor-prognosis prostate tumors. In this study, we investigated a potential interaction between MEIS1 and AR. We found that overexpression of MEIS1 inhibited the AR transcriptional activity and reduced the expression of AR target gene. A potential protein–protein interaction between AR and MEIS1 was identified by the immunoprecipitation and GST pull-down assays. Furthermore, MEIS1 modulated AR cytoplasm/nucleus translocation and the recruitment to androgen response element in prostate specific antigen (PSA) gene promoter sequences. In addition, MEIS1 promoted the recruitment of NCoR and SMRT in the presence of R1881. Finally, MEIS1 inhibited the proliferation and anchor-independent growth of LNCaP cells. Taken together, our data suggests that MEIS1 functions as a novel AR co-repressor. - Highlights: • A potential interaction was identified between MEIS1 and AR signaling. • Overexpression of MEIS1 reduced the expression of AR target gene. • MEIS1 modulated AR cytoplasm/nucleus translocation. • MEIS1 inhibited the proliferation and anchor-independent growth of LNCaP cells.

MEIS1 functions as a potential AR negative regulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui, Liang; Li, Mingyang; Feng, Fan; Yang, Yutao; Hang, Xingyi; Cui, Jiajun; Gao, Jiangping

2014-01-01

The androgen receptor (AR) plays critical roles in human prostate carcinoma progression and transformation. However, the activation of AR is regulated by co-regulators. MEIS1 protein, the homeodomain transcription factor, exhibited a decreased level in poor-prognosis prostate tumors. In this study, we investigated a potential interaction between MEIS1 and AR. We found that overexpression of MEIS1 inhibited the AR transcriptional activity and reduced the expression of AR target gene. A potential protein–protein interaction between AR and MEIS1 was identified by the immunoprecipitation and GST pull-down assays. Furthermore, MEIS1 modulated AR cytoplasm/nucleus translocation and the recruitment to androgen response element in prostate specific antigen (PSA) gene promoter sequences. In addition, MEIS1 promoted the recruitment of NCoR and SMRT in the presence of R1881. Finally, MEIS1 inhibited the proliferation and anchor-independent growth of LNCaP cells. Taken together, our data suggests that MEIS1 functions as a novel AR co-repressor. - Highlights: • A potential interaction was identified between MEIS1 and AR signaling. • Overexpression of MEIS1 reduced the expression of AR target gene. • MEIS1 modulated AR cytoplasm/nucleus translocation. • MEIS1 inhibited the proliferation and anchor-independent growth of LNCaP cells

Differential modulation of expression of nuclear receptor mediated genes by tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP) on early life stages of zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Zhiyuan, E-mail: zhiyuan_nju@163.com [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023 (China); Yu, Yijun, E-mail: yjun.yu@gmail.com [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023 (China); Tang, Song [School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B3 (Canada); Liu, Hongling, E-mail: hlliu@nju.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023 (China); Su, Guanyong; Xie, Yuwei [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023 (China); Giesy, John P. [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023 (China); Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B3 (Canada); Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B3 (Canada); Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong); Hecker, Markus [School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B3 (Canada); Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B3 (Canada); Yu, Hongxia [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023 (China)

2015-12-15

Highlights: • Effects of TBOEP on expression of genes of several nuclear hormone receptors and their relationship with adverse effect pathways in zebrafish. • TBOEP was neither an agonist nor antagonist of AR or AhR as determined by use of in vitro mammalian cell-based receptor transactivation assays. • Modulation of ER- and MR-dependent pathways allowed for development of feasible receptor-mediated, critical mechanisms of toxic action. - Abstract: As one substitute for phased-out brominated flame retardants (BFRs), tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP) is frequently detected in aquatic organisms. However, knowledge about endocrine disrupting mechanisms associated with nuclear receptors caused by TBOEP remained restricted to results from in vitro studies with mammalian cells. In the study, results of which are presented here, embryos/larvae of zebrafish (Danio rerio) were exposed to 0.02, 0.1 or 0.5 μM TBOEP to investigate expression of genes under control of several nuclear hormone receptors (estrogen receptors (ERs), androgen receptor (AR), thyroid hormone receptor alpha (TRα), mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), aryl hydrocarbon (AhR), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), and pregnane × receptor (P × R)) pathways at 120 hpf. Exposure to 0.5 μM TBOEP significantly (p < 0.05, one-way analysis of variance) up-regulated expression of estrogen receptors (ERs, er1, er2a, and er2b) genes and ER-associated genes (vtg4, vtg5, pgr, ncor, and ncoa3), indicating TBOEP modulates the ER pathway. In contrast, expression of most genes (mr, 11βhsd, ube2i,and adrb2b) associated with the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) pathway were significantly down-regulated. Furthermore, in vitro mammalian cell-based (MDA-kb2 and H4IIE-luc) receptor transactivation assays, were also conducted to investigate possible agonistic or antagonistic effects on AR- and AhR-mediated pathways. In mammalian cells, none of these pathways were

Androgen Receptor (AR) Physiological Roles in Male and Female Reproductive Systems: Lessons Learned from AR-Knockout Mice Lacking AR in Selective Cells1

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Chang, Chawnshang; Lee, Soo Ok; Wang, Ruey-Sheng; Yeh, Shuyuan; Chang, Ta-Min

2013-01-01

ABSTRACT Androgens/androgen receptor (AR) signaling is involved primarily in the development of male-specific phenotypes during embryogenesis, spermatogenesis, sexual behavior, and fertility during adult life. However, this signaling has also been shown to play an important role in development of female reproductive organs and their functions, such as ovarian folliculogenesis, embryonic implantation, and uterine and breast development. The establishment of the testicular feminization (Tfm) mouse model exploiting the X-linked Tfm mutation in mice has been a good in vivo tool for studying the human complete androgen insensitivity syndrome, but this mouse may not be the perfect in vivo model. Mouse models with various cell-specific AR knockout (ARKO) might allow us to study AR roles in individual types of cells in these male and female reproductive systems, although discrepancies are found in results between labs, probably due to using various Cre mice and/or knocking out AR in different AR domains. Nevertheless, no doubt exists that the continuous development of these ARKO mouse models and careful studies will provide information useful for understanding AR roles in reproductive systems of humans and may help us to develop more effective and more specific therapeutic approaches for reproductive system-related diseases. PMID:23782840

Expression of androgen receptor target genes in skeletal muscle

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Kesha Rana

2014-10-01

Full Text Available We aimed to determine the mechanisms of the anabolic actions of androgens in skeletal muscle by investigating potential androgen receptor (AR-regulated genes in in vitro and in vivo models. The expression of the myogenic regulatory factor myogenin was significantly decreased in skeletal muscle from testosterone-treated orchidectomized male mice compared to control orchidectomized males, and was increased in muscle from male AR knockout mice that lacked DNA binding activity (ARΔZF2 versus wildtype mice, demonstrating that myogenin is repressed by the androgen/AR pathway. The ubiquitin ligase Fbxo32 was repressed by 12 h dihydrotestosterone treatment in human skeletal muscle cell myoblasts, and c-Myc expression was decreased in testosterone-treated orchidectomized male muscle compared to control orchidectomized male muscle, and increased in AR∆ZF2 muscle. The expression of a group of genes that regulate the transition from myoblast proliferation to differentiation, Tceal7 , p57 Kip2, Igf2 and calcineurin Aa, was increased in AR∆ZF2 muscle, and the expression of all but p57 Kip2 was also decreased in testosterone-treated orchidectomized male muscle compared to control orchidectomized male muscle. We conclude that in males, androgens act via the AR in part to promote peak muscle mass by maintaining myoblasts in the proliferative state and delaying the transition to differentiation during muscle growth and development, and by suppressing ubiquitin ligase-mediated atrophy pathways to preserve muscle mass in adult muscle.

The Androgen Receptor Gene Mutations Database.

Science.gov (United States)

Gottlieb, B; Lehvaslaiho, H; Beitel, L K; Lumbroso, R; Pinsky, L; Trifiro, M

1998-01-01

The current version of the androgen receptor (AR) gene mutations database is described. The total number of reported mutations has risen from 272 to 309 in the past year. We have expanded the database: (i) by giving each entry an accession number; (ii) by adding information on the length of polymorphic polyglutamine (polyGln) and polyglycine (polyGly) tracts in exon 1; (iii) by adding information on large gene deletions; (iv) by providing a direct link with a completely searchable database (courtesy EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute). The addition of the exon 1 polymorphisms is discussed in light of their possible relevance as markers for predisposition to prostate or breast cancer. The database is also available on the internet (http://www.mcgill. ca/androgendb/ ), from EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute (ftp. ebi.ac.uk/pub/databases/androgen ), or as a Macintosh FilemakerPro or Word file (MC33@musica.mcgill.ca).

The liver X receptor agonist T0901317 acts as androgen receptor antagonist in human prostate cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chuu, Chih-pin; Chen, Rou-Yu; Hiipakka, Richard A.; Kokontis, John M.; Warner, Karen V.; Xiang, Jialing; Liao, Shutsung

2007-01-01

T0901317 is a potent non-steroidal synthetic liver X receptor (LXR) agonist. T0901317 blocked androgenic stimulation of the proliferation of androgen-dependent LNCaP 104-S cells and androgenic suppression of the proliferation of androgen-independent LNCaP 104-R2 cells, inhibited the transcriptional activation of an androgen-dependent reporter gene by androgen, and suppressed gene and protein expression of prostate specific antigen (PSA), a target gene of androgen receptor (AR) without affecting gene and protein expression of AR. T0901317 also inhibited binding of a radiolabeled androgen to AR, but inhibition was much weaker compared to the effect of the antiandrogens, bicalutamide and hydroxyflutamide. The LXR agonist T0901317, therefore, acts as an antiandrogen in human prostate cancer cells

Androgen Receptor Variant AR-V9 Is Coexpressed with AR-V7 in Prostate Cancer Metastases and Predicts Abiraterone Resistance.

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Kohli, Manish; Ho, Yeung; Hillman, David W; Van Etten, Jamie L; Henzler, Christine; Yang, Rendong; Sperger, Jamie M; Li, Yingming; Tseng, Elizabeth; Hon, Ting; Clark, Tyson; Tan, Winston; Carlson, Rachel E; Wang, Liguo; Sicotte, Hugues; Thai, Ho; Jimenez, Rafael; Huang, Haojie; Vedell, Peter T; Eckloff, Bruce W; Quevedo, Jorge F; Pitot, Henry C; Costello, Brian A; Jen, Jin; Wieben, Eric D; Silverstein, Kevin A T; Lang, Joshua M; Wang, Liewei; Dehm, Scott M

2017-08-15

Purpose: Androgen receptor (AR) variant AR-V7 is a ligand-independent transcription factor that promotes prostate cancer resistance to AR-targeted therapies. Accordingly, efforts are under way to develop strategies for monitoring and inhibiting AR-V7 in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The purpose of this study was to understand whether other AR variants may be coexpressed with AR-V7 and promote resistance to AR-targeted therapies. Experimental Design: We utilized complementary short- and long-read sequencing of intact AR mRNA isoforms to characterize AR expression in CRPC models. Coexpression of AR-V7 and AR-V9 mRNA in CRPC metastases and circulating tumor cells was assessed by RNA-seq and RT-PCR, respectively. Expression of AR-V9 protein in CRPC models was evaluated with polyclonal antisera. Multivariate analysis was performed to test whether AR variant mRNA expression in metastatic tissues was associated with a 12-week progression-free survival endpoint in a prospective clinical trial of 78 CRPC-stage patients initiating therapy with the androgen synthesis inhibitor, abiraterone acetate. Results: AR-V9 was frequently coexpressed with AR-V7. Both AR variant species were found to share a common 3' terminal cryptic exon, which rendered AR-V9 susceptible to experimental manipulations that were previously thought to target AR-V7 uniquely. AR-V9 promoted ligand-independent growth of prostate cancer cells. High AR-V9 mRNA expression in CRPC metastases was predictive of primary resistance to abiraterone acetate (HR = 4.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.31-12.2; P = 0.02). Conclusions: AR-V9 may be an important component of therapeutic resistance in CRPC. Clin Cancer Res; 23(16); 4704-15. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

Association of ghrelin receptor gene polymorphism with bulimia nervosa in a Japanese population.

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Miyasaka, K; Hosoya, H; Sekime, A; Ohta, M; Amono, H; Matsushita, S; Suzuki, K; Higuchi, S; Funakoshi, A

2006-09-01

Eating disorders (EDs) have a highly heterogeneous etiology and multiple genetic factors might contribute to their pathogenesis. Ghrelin, a novel growth hormone-releasing peptide, enhances appetite and increases food intake, and human ghrelin plasma levels are inversely correlated with body mass index. In the present study, we examined the 171T/C polymorphism of the ghrelin receptor (growth hormone secretagogue receptor, GHSR) gene in patients diagnosed with EDs, because the subjects having ghrelin gene polymorphism (Leu72Met) was not detected in a Japanese population, previously. In addition, beta3 adrenergic receptor gene polymorphism (Try64Arg) and cholecystokinin (CCK)-A receptor (R) gene polymorphism (-81A/G, -128G/T), which are both associated with obesity, were investigated. The subjects consisted of 228 Japanese patients with EDs [96 anorexia nervosa (AN), 116 bulimia nervosa (BN) and 16 not otherwise specified (NOS)]. The age- and gender-matched control group consisted of 284 unrelated Japanese subjects. The frequency of the CC type of the GHSR gene was significantly higher in BN subjects than in control subjects (chi(2) = 4.47, p = 0.035, odds ratio = 2.05, Bonferroni correction: p = 0.070), while the frequency in AN subjects was not different from that in controls. The distribution of neither beta3 adrenergic receptor gene nor CCK-AR polymorphism differed between EDs and control subjects. Therefore, the CC type of GHSR gene polymorphism (171T/C) is a risk factor for BN, but not for AN.

GGC and StuI polymorphism on the androgen receptor gene in endometrial cancer patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasaki, Masahiro; Karube, Akihiro; Karube, Yuko; Watari, Michiko; Sakuragi, Noriaki; Fujimoto, Seiichiro; Dahiya, Rajvir

2005-01-01

Androgens have an anti-proliferative effect on endometrial cells. Human androgen receptor (AR) gene contains two polymorphic short tandem repeats of GGC and CAG, and a single-nucleotide polymorphism on exon 1 that is recognized by the restriction enzyme, StuI. Prior studies have shown that the lengths of the CAG repeat are inversely and linearly related to AR activity and associated with endometrial cancer. However, little is known about the GGC repeat and the StuI polymorphism of the AR gene. Thus, we investigated whether these AR polymorphisms are risk factors for endometrial cancer. To test this hypothesis, the genetic distributions of these polymorphisms were investigated in blood samples from endometrial cancer patients and healthy controls. The allelic and genotyping profiles were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), and direct DNA sequencing, and analyzed statistically. The GGC repeat was significantly longer in endometrial cancer patients as compared to normal healthy controls. In general, an increased risk of endometrial cancer was found with increasing GGC repeat. The relative risk for the 17 GGC repeat was greater than 4, as compared to controls. However, the StuI polymorphism was not significantly different between patients and controls. The findings suggest that increased numbers of GGC repeat on the AR gene may be a risk factor for endometrial cancer

Baldness and the androgen receptor: the AR polyglycine repeat polymorphism does not confer susceptibility to androgenetic alopecia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Justine A; Scurrah, Katrina J; Cobb, Joanna E; Zaloumis, Sophie G; Duncan, Anna E; Harrap, Stephen B

2007-05-01

Androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness, is a complex condition with a strong heritable component. In 2001, we published the first significant evidence of a genetic association between baldness and a synonymous coding SNP (rs6152) in the androgen receptor gene, AR. Recently, this finding was replicated in three independent studies, confirming an important role for AR in the baldness phenotype. In one such replication study, it was claimed that the causative variant underlying the association was likely to be the polyglycine (GGN) repeat polymorphism, one of two apparently functional triplet repeat polymorphisms located in the exon 1 transactivating domain of the gene. Here, we extend our original association finding and present comprehensive evidence from approximately 1,200 fathers and sons drawn from 703 families of the Victorian Family Heart Study, a general population Caucasian cohort, that neither exon 1 triplet repeat polymorphism is causative in this condition. Seventy-eight percent of fathers (531/683) and 30% of sons (157/520) were affected to some degree with AGA. We utilised statistical methods appropriate for the categorical nature of the phenotype and familial structure of the cohort, and determined that whilst SNP rs6152 was strongly associated with baldness (P baldness, but also for the many other complex conditions that have thus far been linked to AR.

REST mediates androgen receptor actions on gene repression and predicts early recurrence of prostate cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svensson, Charlotte; Ceder, Jens; Iglesias Gato, Diego

2014-01-01

The androgen receptor (AR) is a key regulator of prostate tumorgenesis through actions that are not fully understood. We identified the repressor element (RE)-1 silencing transcription factor (REST) as a mediator of AR actions on gene repression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that AR binds...... in cell cycle progression, including Aurora Kinase A, that has previously been implicated in the growth of NE-like castration-resistant tumors. The analysis of prostate cancer tissue microarrays revealed that tumors with reduced expression of REST have higher probability of early recurrence, independently...... of their Gleason score. The demonstration that REST modulates AR actions in prostate epithelia and that REST expression is negatively correlated with disease recurrence after prostatectomy, invite a deeper characterization of its role in prostate carcinogenesis....

Transcription factor Brn-3α mRNA in cancers, relationship with AR, ER receptors and AKT/m-TOR pathway components

Science.gov (United States)

Spirina, L. V.; Gorbunov, A. K.; Chigevskaya, S. Y.; Usynin, Y. A.; Kondakova, I. V.; Slonimskaya, E. M.; Usynin, E. A.; Choinzonov, E. L.; Zaitseva, O. S.

2017-09-01

Transcription factors POU4F1 (neurogenic factor Brn-3α) play a pivotal role in cancers development. The aim of the study was to reveal the Brn-3α expression, AR, ER expression in cancers development, association with AKT/mTOR pathway activation. 30 patients with locally advanced prostate cancer, 20 patients with papillary thyroid cancer, T2-3N0-1M0 stages and 40 patients with renal cell cancer T2-3N0M0-1 were involved into the study. The expressions of Brn-3α, AR, ERα, components of AKT/m-TOR signaling pathway genes were performed by real-time PCR. The dependence of Brn-3α expression on mRNA levels of steroid hormone receptors and components of AKT/m-TOR signaling pathway in studied cancers were shown. High levels of mRNA of nuclear factor, steroid hormone receptors were found followed by the activation of this signaling pathway in prostate cancer tissue. The reduction of transcription factor Brn-3α was accompanied with tumor invasive growth with increasing rates of AR, ER and 4E-BP1 mRNA. Thyroid cancer development happened in a case of a Brn-3α and steroid hormone receptors decrease. The activation of AKT/m-TOR signaling pathway was established in the metastatic renal cancers, accompanied with the increase of ER mRNA. But there was no correlation between the steroid receptor and Brn-3α. One-direction changes of Brn-3α were observed in the development of prostate and thyroid cancer due to its effect on the steroid hormone receptors and the activation of AKT/m-TOR signaling pathway components. The influence of this factor on the development of the kidney cancer was mediated through m-TOR activity modifications, the key enzyme of oncogenesis.

Phylogenetic analysis of bacterial and archaeal arsC gene sequences suggests an ancient, common origin for arsenate reductase

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Dugas Sandra L

2003-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The ars gene system provides arsenic resistance for a variety of microorganisms and can be chromosomal or plasmid-borne. The arsC gene, which codes for an arsenate reductase is essential for arsenate resistance and transforms arsenate into arsenite, which is extruded from the cell. A survey of GenBank shows that arsC appears to be phylogenetically widespread both in organisms with known arsenic resistance and those organisms that have been sequenced as part of whole genome projects. Results Phylogenetic analysis of aligned arsC sequences shows broad similarities to the established 16S rRNA phylogeny, with separation of bacterial, archaeal, and subsequently eukaryotic arsC genes. However, inconsistencies between arsC and 16S rRNA are apparent for some taxa. Cyanobacteria and some of the γ-Proteobacteria appear to possess arsC genes that are similar to those of Low GC Gram-positive Bacteria, and other isolated taxa possess arsC genes that would not be expected based on known evolutionary relationships. There is no clear separation of plasmid-borne and chromosomal arsC genes, although a number of the Enterobacteriales (γ-Proteobacteria possess similar plasmid-encoded arsC sequences. Conclusion The overall phylogeny of the arsenate reductases suggests a single, early origin of the arsC gene and subsequent sequence divergence to give the distinct arsC classes that exist today. Discrepancies between 16S rRNA and arsC phylogenies support the role of horizontal gene transfer (HGT in the evolution of arsenate reductases, with a number of instances of HGT early in bacterial arsC evolution. Plasmid-borne arsC genes are not monophyletic suggesting multiple cases of chromosomal-plasmid exchange and subsequent HGT. Overall, arsC phylogeny is complex and is likely the result of a number of evolutionary mechanisms.

Neural androgen receptors modulate gene expression and social recognition but not social investigation

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Sara A Karlsson

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The role of sex and androgen receptors (ARs for social preference and social memory is rather unknown. In this study of mice we compared males, females and males lacking ARs specifically in the nervous system, ARNesDel, with respect to social preference, assessed with the three-chambered apparatus test, and social recognition, assessed with the social discrimination procedure. In the social discrimination test we also evaluated the tentative importance of the sex of the stimulus animal. Novel object recognition and olfaction were investigated to complement the results from the social tests. Gene expression analysis was performed to reveal molecules involved in the effects of sex and androgens on social behaviors. All three test groups showed social preference in the three-chambered apparatus test. In both social tests an AR-independent sexual dimorphism was seen in the persistence of social investigation of female conspecifics, whereas the social interest towards male stimuli mice was similar in all groups. Male and female controls recognized conspecifics independent of their sex, whereas ARNesDel males recognized female but not male stimuli mice. Moreover, the non-social behaviors were not affected by AR deficiency. The gene expression analyses of hypothalamus and amygdala indicated that Oxtr, Cd38, Esr1, Cyp19a1, Ucn3, Crh and Gtf2i were differentially expressed between the three groups. In conclusion, our results suggest that ARs are required for recognition of male but not female conspecifics, while being dispensable for social investigation towards both sexes. In addition, the AR seems to regulate genes related to oxytocin, estrogen and William’s syndrome.

Bacillus sp.CDB3 isolated from cattle dip-sites possesses two ars gene clusters

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Somanath Bhat; Xi Luo; Zhiqiang Xu; Lixia Liu; Ren Zhang

2011-01-01

Contamination of soil and water by arsenic is a global problem.In Australia, the dipping of cattle in arsenic-containing solution to control cattle ticks in last centenary has left many sites heavily contaminated with arsenic and other toxicants.We had previously isolated five soil bacterial strains (CDB1-5) highly resistant to arsenic.To understand the resistance mechanism, molecular studies have been carried out.Two chromosome-encoded arsenic resistance (ars) gene clusters have been cloned from CDB3 (Bacillus sp.).They both function in Escherichia coli and cluster 1 exerts a much higher resistance to the toxic metalloid.Cluster 2 is smaller possessing four open reading frames (ORFs) arsRorf2BC, similar to that identified in Bacillus subtilis Skin element.Among the eight ORFs in cluster 1 five are analogs of common ars genes found in other bacteria, however, organized in a unique order arsRBCDA instead of arsRDABC.Three other putative genes are located directly downstream and designated as arsTIP based on the homologies of their theoretical translation sequences respectively to thioredoxin reductases, iron-sulphur cluster proteins and protein phosphatases.The latter two are novel of any known ars operons.The arsD gene from Bacillus species was cloned for the first time and the predict protein differs from the well studied E.coli ArsD by lacking two pairs of C-terrninal cysteine residues.Its functional involvement in arsenic resistance has been confirmed by a deletion experiment.There exists also an inverted repeat in the intergenic region between arsC and arsD implying some unknown transcription regulation.

Melatonin Inhibits Androgen Receptor Splice Variant-7 (AR-V7)-Induced Nuclear Factor-Kappa B (NF-κB) Activation and NF-κB Activator-Induced AR-V7 Expression in Prostate Cancer Cells: Potential Implications for the Use of Melatonin in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Vincent Wing Sun; Yau, Wing Lung; Tam, Chun Wai; Yao, Kwok-Ming; Shiu, Stephen Yuen Wing

2017-05-31

A major current challenge in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer, which can be initially controlled by medical or surgical castration, is the development of effective, safe, and affordable therapies against progression of the disease to the stage of castration resistance. Here, we showed that in LNCaP and 22Rv1 prostate cancer cells transiently overexpressing androgen receptor splice variant-7 (AR-V7), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) was activated and could result in up-regulated interleukin ( IL ) -6 gene expression, indicating a positive interaction between AR-V7 expression and activated NF-κB/IL-6 signaling in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) pathogenesis. Importantly, both AR-V7-induced NF-κB activation and IL-6 gene transcription in LNCaP and 22Rv1 cells could be inhibited by melatonin. Furthermore, stimulation of AR-V7 mRNA expression in LNCaP cells by betulinic acid, a pharmacological NF-κB activator, was reduced by melatonin treatment. Our data support the presence of bi-directional positive interactions between AR-V7 expression and NF-κB activation in CRPC pathogenesis. Of note, melatonin, by inhibiting NF-κB activation via the previously-reported MT₁ receptor-mediated antiproliferative pathway, can disrupt these bi-directional positive interactions between AR-V7 and NF-κB and thereby delay the development of castration resistance in advanced prostate cancer. Apparently, this therapeutic potential of melatonin in advanced prostate cancer/CRPC management is worth translation in the clinic via combined androgen depletion and melatonin repletion.

Melatonin Inhibits Androgen Receptor Splice Variant-7 (AR-V7-Induced Nuclear Factor-Kappa B (NF-κB Activation and NF-κB Activator-Induced AR-V7 Expression in Prostate Cancer Cells: Potential Implications for the Use of Melatonin in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC Therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent Wing Sun Liu

2017-05-01

Full Text Available A major current challenge in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer, which can be initially controlled by medical or surgical castration, is the development of effective, safe, and affordable therapies against progression of the disease to the stage of castration resistance. Here, we showed that in LNCaP and 22Rv1 prostate cancer cells transiently overexpressing androgen receptor splice variant-7 (AR-V7, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB was activated and could result in up-regulated interleukin (IL-6 gene expression, indicating a positive interaction between AR-V7 expression and activated NF-κB/IL-6 signaling in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC pathogenesis. Importantly, both AR-V7-induced NF-κB activation and IL-6 gene transcription in LNCaP and 22Rv1 cells could be inhibited by melatonin. Furthermore, stimulation of AR-V7 mRNA expression in LNCaP cells by betulinic acid, a pharmacological NF-κB activator, was reduced by melatonin treatment. Our data support the presence of bi-directional positive interactions between AR-V7 expression and NF-κB activation in CRPC pathogenesis. Of note, melatonin, by inhibiting NF-κB activation via the previously-reported MT1 receptor-mediated antiproliferative pathway, can disrupt these bi-directional positive interactions between AR-V7 and NF-κB and thereby delay the development of castration resistance in advanced prostate cancer. Apparently, this therapeutic potential of melatonin in advanced prostate cancer/CRPC management is worth translation in the clinic via combined androgen depletion and melatonin repletion.

Cerebral A{sub 1} adenosine receptors (A{sub 1}AR) in liver cirrhosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boy, Christian [Research Centre Juelich, Brain Imaging Centre West, Institute of Medicine, Juelich (Germany); University Hospital Essen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Essen (Germany); Meyer, Philipp T. [Research Centre Juelich, Brain Imaging Centre West, Institute of Medicine, Juelich (Germany); University Hospital Aachen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Aachen (Germany); Kircheis, Gerald; Haussinger, Dieter [University of Duesseldorf, Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectiology, Duesseldorf (Germany); Holschbach, Marcus H.; Coenen, Heinz H. [Research Centre Juelich, Institute of Nuclear Chemistry, Juelich (Germany); Herzog, Hans; Elmenhorst, David [Research Centre Juelich, Brain Imaging Centre West, Institute of Medicine, Juelich (Germany); Kaiser, Hans J. [University Hospital Aachen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Aachen (Germany); Zilles, Karl [Research Centre Juelich, Brain Imaging Centre West, Institute of Medicine, Juelich (Germany); C. and O. Vogt Institute of Brain Research, Duesseldorf (Germany); Bauer, Andreas [Research Centre Juelich, Brain Imaging Centre West, Institute of Medicine, Juelich (Germany); University of Duesseldorf, Department of Neurology, Duesseldorf (Germany)

2008-03-15

The cerebral mechanisms underlying hepatic encephalopathy (HE) are poorly understood. Adenosine, a neuromodulator that pre- and postsynaptically modulates neuronal excitability and release of classical neurotransmitters via A{sub 1} adenosine receptors (A{sub 1}AR), is likely to be involved. The present study investigates changes of cerebral A{sub 1}AR binding in cirrhotic patients by means of positron emission tomography (PET) and [{sup 18}F]CPFPX, a novel selective A{sub 1}AR antagonist. PET was performed in cirrhotic patients (n = 10) and healthy volunteers (n = 10). Quantification of in vivo receptor density was done by Logan's non-invasive graphical analysis (pons as reference region). The outcome parameter was the apparent binding potential (aBP, proportional to B{sub max}/K{sub D}). Cortical and subcortical regions showed lower A{sub 1}AR binding in cirrhotic patients than in controls. The aBP changes reached statistical significance vs healthy controls (p < 0.05, U test with Bonferroni-Holm adjustment for multiple comparisons) in cingulate cortex (-50.0%), precentral gyrus (-40.9%), postcentral gyrus (-38.6%), insular cortex (-38.6%), thalamus (-32.9%), parietal cortex (-31.7%), frontal cortex (-28.6), lateral temporal cortex (-28.2%), orbitofrontal cortex (-27.9%), occipital cortex (-24.6), putamen (-22.7%) and mesial temporal lobe (-22.4%). Regional cerebral adenosinergic neuromodulation is heterogeneously altered in cirrhotic patients. The decrease of cerebral A{sub 1}AR binding may further aggravate neurotransmitter imbalance at the synaptic cleft in cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy. Different pathomechanisms may account for these alterations including decrease of A{sub 1}AR density or affinity, as well as blockade of the A{sub 1}AR by endogenous adenosine or exogenous xanthines. (orig.)

Relationships among estrogen receptor, oxytocin and vasopressin gene expression and social interaction in male mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Murakami, G; Hunter, R G; Fontaine, C; Ribeiro, A; Pfaff, D

2011-08-01

The incidence of social disorders such as autism and schizophrenia is significantly higher in males, and the presentation more severe, than in females. This suggests the possible contribution of sex hormones to the development of these psychiatric disorders. There is also evidence that these disorders are highly heritable. To contribute toward our understanding of the mechanisms underlying social behaviors, particularly social interaction, we assessed the relationship of social interaction with gene expression for two neuropeptides, oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP), using adult male mice. Social interaction was positively correlated with: oxytocin receptor (OTR) and vasopressin receptor (V1aR) mRNA expression in the medial amygdala; and OT and AVP mRNA expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN). When mice representing extremes of social interaction were compared, all of these mRNAs were more highly expressed in high social interaction mice than in low social interaction mice. OTR and V1aR mRNAs were highly correlated with estrogen receptor α (ERα) mRNA in the medial amygdala, and OT and AVP mRNAs with estrogen receptor β (ERβ) mRNA in the PVN, indicating that OT and AVP systems are tightly regulated by estrogen receptors. A significant difference in the level of ERα mRNA in the medial amygdala between high and low social interaction mice was also observed. These results support the hypothesis that variations of estrogen receptor levels are associated with differences in social interaction through the OT and AVP systems, by upregulating gene expression for those peptides and their receptors. © 2011 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience © 2011 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The long-term outcome of boys with partial androgen insensitivity syndrome and a mutation in the androgen receptor gene

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lucas-Herald, A.; S. Bertelloni (Silvano); A. Juul (Anders); J. Bryce (Jillian); Jiang, J.; M. Rodie (Martina); R. Sinnott (Richard); Boroujerdi, M.; Lindhardt Johansen, M.; O. Hiort (Olaf); P-M. Holterhus (Paul-Martin); M.L. Cools (Martine); Guaragna-Filho, G.; Guerra-Junior, G.; N. Weintrob (Naomi); S.E. Hannema (Sabine); S.L.S. Drop (Stenvert); T. Guran (Tulay); F. Darendeliler (Feyza); A. Nordenström (Anna); I.A. Hughes (Ieuan A.); Acerini, C.; Tadokoro-Cuccaro, R.; S.F. Ahmed (Faisal)

2016-01-01

textabstractBackground: In boys with suspected partial androgen insensitivity syndrome (PAIS), systematic evidence that supports the long-term prognostic value of identifying a mutation in the androgen receptor gene (AR) is lacking. Objective: To assess the clinical characteristics and long-term

Methylation of the PMEPA1 gene, a negative regulator of the androgen receptor in prostate cancer.

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Sharad, Shashwat; Ravindranath, Lakshmi; Haffner, Michael C; Li, Hua; Yan, Wusheng; Sesterhenn, Isabell A; Chen, Yongmei; Ali, Amina; Srinivasan, Alagarsamy; McLeod, David G; Yegnasubramanian, Srinivasan; Srivastava, Shiv; Dobi, Albert; Petrovics, Gyorgy

2014-06-01

The prostate transmembrane protein androgen induced 1 (PMEPA1) gene is highly expressed in prostate epithelial cells and is a direct transcriptional target for the androgen receptor (AR). AR protein levels are controlled by the AR-PMEPA1 negative feedback loop through NEDD4-E3 ligase. Reduced expression of PMEPA1 observed in prostate tumors, suggests that loss of PMEPA1 may play critical roles in prostate tumorigenesis. This study focuses on epigenetic mechanisms of reduced PMEPA1 expression in the cancer of the prostate (CaP). Benign (n = 77) and matched malignant (n = 77) prostate epithelial cells were laser capture micro-dissected from optimum cutting temperature embedded frozen prostate sections from 42 Caucasian American (CA) and 35 African American (AA) cases. Purified DNA specimens were analyzed for CpG methylation of the PMEPA1 gene. PMEPA1 mRNA expression levels were evaluated by qRT-PCR. Analysis of PMEPA1 methylation and mRNA expression in the same tumor cell populations indicated a significant inverse correlation between mRNA expression and methylation in CaP (P = 0.0115). We noted higher frequency of CpG methylation within the evaluated first intronic region of the PMEPA1 gene in prostate tumors of CA men as compared with AA. In CaP cell lines, PMEPA1 expression was induced and AR protein levels were diminished in response to treatment with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (decitabine). Cell culture-based studies demonstrated that decitabine restores PMEPA1 expression in AR-positive CaP cell lines. This report reveals the potential role of PMEPA1 gene methylation in the regulation of AR stability. Thus, downregulation of PMEPA1 may result in increased AR protein levels and function in CaP cells, contributing to prostate tumorigenesis.

AR Expression in Breast Cancer CTCs Associates with Bone Metastases.

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Aceto, Nicola; Bardia, Aditya; Wittner, Ben S; Donaldson, Maria C; O'Keefe, Ryan; Engstrom, Amanda; Bersani, Francesca; Zheng, Yu; Comaills, Valentine; Niederhoffer, Kira; Zhu, Huili; Mackenzie, Olivia; Shioda, Toshi; Sgroi, Dennis; Kapur, Ravi; Ting, David T; Moy, Beverly; Ramaswamy, Sridhar; Toner, Mehmet; Haber, Daniel A; Maheswaran, Shyamala

2018-04-01

Molecular drivers underlying bone metastases in human cancer are not well understood, in part due to constraints in bone tissue sampling. Here, RNA sequencing was performed of circulating tumor cells (CTC) isolated from blood samples of women with metastatic estrogen receptor (ER) + breast cancer, comparing cases with progression in bone versus visceral organs. Among the activated cellular pathways in CTCs from bone-predominant breast cancer is androgen receptor (AR) signaling. AR gene expression is evident, as is its constitutively active splice variant AR-v7. AR expression within CTCs is correlated with the duration of treatment with aromatase inhibitors, suggesting that it contributes to acquired resistance to endocrine therapy. In an established breast cancer xenograft model, a bone-tropic derivative displays increased AR expression, whose genetic or pharmacologic suppression reduces metastases to bone but not to lungs. Together, these observations identify AR signaling in CTCs from women with bone-predominant ER + breast cancer, and provide a rationale for testing androgen inhibitors in this subset of patients. Implications: This study highlights a role for the AR in breast cancer bone metastasis, and suggests that therapeutic targeting of the AR may benefit patients with metastatic breast cancer. Mol Cancer Res; 16(4); 720-7. ©2018 AACR . ©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.

The Prognostic Role of Androgen Receptor in Patients with Early-Stage Breast Cancer: A Meta-analysis of Clinical and Gene Expression Data.

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Bozovic-Spasojevic, Ivana; Zardavas, Dimitrios; Brohée, Sylvain; Ameye, Lieveke; Fumagalli, Debora; Ades, Felipe; de Azambuja, Evandro; Bareche, Yacine; Piccart, Martine; Paesmans, Marianne; Sotiriou, Christos

2017-06-01

Purpose: Androgen receptor (AR) expression has been observed in about 70% of patients with breast cancer, but its prognostic role remains uncertain. Experimental Design: To assess the prognostic role of AR expression in early-stage breast cancer, we performed a meta-analysis of studies that evaluated the impact of AR at the protein and gene expression level on disease-free survival (DFS) and/or overall survival (OS). Eligible studies were identified by systematic review of electronic databases using the MeSH-terms "breast neoplasm" and "androgen receptor" and were selected after a qualitative assessment based on the REMARK criteria. A pooled gene expression analysis of 35 publicly available microarray data sets was also performed from patients with early-stage breast cancer with available gene expression and clinical outcome data. Results: Twenty-two of 33 eligible studies for the clinical meta-analysis, including 10,004 patients, were considered as evaluable for the current study after the qualitative assessment. AR positivity defined by IHC was associated with improved DFS in all patients with breast cancer [multivariate (M) analysis, HR 0.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.37-0.58, P expression analysis. High AR mRNA levels were found to confer positive prognosis overall in terms of DFS (HR 0.82; 95% CI 0.72-0.92; P = 0.0007) and OS (HR 0.84; 95% CI, 0.75-0.94; P = 0.02) only in univariate analysis. Conclusions: Our analysis, conducted among more than 17,000 women with early-stage breast cancer included in clinical and gene expression analysis, demonstrates that AR positivity is associated with favorable clinical outcome. Clin Cancer Res; 23(11); 2702-12. ©2016 AACR . ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

Bidirectional modulation of hippocampal gamma (20-80 Hz) frequency activity in vitro via alpha(α)- and beta(β)-adrenergic receptors (AR).

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Haggerty, D C; Glykos, V; Adams, N E; Lebeau, F E N

2013-12-03

Noradrenaline (NA) in the hippocampus plays an important role in memory function and has been shown to modulate different forms of synaptic plasticity. Oscillations in the gamma frequency (20-80 Hz) band in the hippocampus have also been proposed to play an important role in memory functions and, evidence from both in vitro and in vivo studies, has suggested this activity can be modulated by NA. However, the role of different NA receptor subtypes in the modulation of gamma frequency activity has not been fully elucidated. We have found that NA (30 μM) exerts a bidirectional control on the magnitude of kainate-evoked (50-200 nM) gamma frequency oscillations in the cornu Ammonis (CA3) region of the rat hippocampus in vitro via activation of different receptor subtypes. Activation of alpha-adrenergic receptors (α-AR) reduced the power of the gamma frequency oscillation. In contrast, activation of beta-adrenergic receptors (β-AR) caused an increase in the power of the gamma frequency oscillations. Using specific agonists and antagonists of AR receptor subtypes we demonstrated that these effects are mediated specifically via α1A-AR and β1-AR subtypes. NA activated both receptor subtypes, but the α1A-AR-mediated effect predominated, resulting in a reversible suppression of gamma frequency activity. These results suggest that NA is able to differentially modulate on-going gamma frequency oscillatory activity that could result in either increased or decreased information flow through the hippocampus. Copyright © 2013 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sequence of the intron/exon junctions of the coding region of the human androgen receptor gene and identification of a point mutation in a family with complete androgen insensitivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lubahn, D.B.; Simental, J.A.; Higgs, H.N.; Wilson, E.M.; French, F.S.; Brown, T.R.; Migeon, C.J.

1989-01-01

Androgens act through a receptor protein (AR) to mediate sex differentiation and development of the male phenotype. The authors have isolated the eight exons in the amino acid coding region of the AR gene from a human X chromosome library. Nucleotide sequences of the AR gene intron/exon boundaries were determined for use in designing synthetic oligonucleotide primers to bracket coding exons for amplification by the polymerase chain reaction. Genomic DNA was amplified from 46, XY phenotypic female siblings with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome. AR binding affinity for dihydrotestosterone in the affected siblings was lower than in normal males, but the binding capacity was normal. Sequence analysis of amplified exons demonstrated within the AR steroid-binding domain (exon G) a single guanine to adenine mutation, resulting in replacement of valine with methionine at amino acid residue 866. As expected, the carrier mother had both normal and mutant AR genes. Thus, a single point mutation in the steroid-binding domain of the AR gene correlated with the expression of an AR protein ineffective in stimulating male sexual development

Comprehensive Profiling of the Androgen Receptor in Liquid Biopsies from Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer Reveals Novel Intra-AR Structural Variation and Splice Variant Expression Patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

De Laere, Bram; van Dam, Pieter-Jan; Whitington, Tom; Mayrhofer, Markus; Diaz, Emanuela Henao; Van den Eynden, Gert; Vandebroek, Jean; Del-Favero, Jurgen; Van Laere, Steven; Dirix, Luc; Grönberg, Henrik; Lindberg, Johan

2017-08-01

Expression of the androgen receptor splice variant 7 (AR-V7) is associated with poor response to second-line endocrine therapy in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, a large fraction of nonresponding patients are AR-V7-negative. To investigate if a comprehensive liquid biopsy-based AR profile may improve patient stratification in the context of second-line endocrine therapy. Peripheral blood was collected from patients with CRPC (n=30) before initiation of a new line of systemic therapy. We performed profiling of circulating tumour DNA via low-pass whole-genome sequencing and targeted sequencing of the entire AR gene, including introns. Targeted RNA sequencing was performed on enriched circulating tumour cell fractions to assess the expression levels of seven AR splice variants (ARVs). Somatic AR variations, including copy-number alterations, structural variations, and point mutations, were combined with ARV expression patterns and correlated to clinicopathologic parameters. Collectively, any AR perturbation, including ARV, was detected in 25/30 patients. Surprisingly, intra-AR structural variation was present in 15/30 patients, of whom 14 expressed ARVs. The majority of ARV-positive patients expressed multiple ARVs, with AR-V3 the most abundantly expressed. The presence of any ARV was associated with progression-free survival after second-line endocrine treatment (hazard ratio 4.53, 95% confidence interval 1.424-14.41; p=0.0105). Six out of 17 poor responders were AR-V7-negative, but four carried other AR perturbations. Comprehensive AR profiling, which is feasible using liquid biopsies, is necessary to increase our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning resistance to endocrine treatment. Alterations in the androgen receptor are associated with endocrine treatment outcomes. This study demonstrates that it is possible to identify different types of alterations via simple blood draws. Follow-up studies are needed to determine the effect of

[Study of androgen receptor and phosphoglycerate kinase gene polymorphism in major cellular components of the so-called pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma].

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Feng-jie; Zhang, Xiu-wei; Zhang, Yong-xing; Dai, Shun-dong; Wang, En-hua

2006-05-01

To study the clonality of polygonal cells and surface cuboidal cells in the so-called pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma (PSH). 17 female surgically resected PSH were found. The polygonal cells and surface cuboidal cells of the 17 PSH cases were microdissected from routine hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections. Genomic DNA was extracted, pretreated through incubation with methylation-sensitive restrictive endonuclease HhaI or HpaII, and amplified by nested polymerase chain reaction for X chromosome-linked androgen receptor (AR) and phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) genes. The length polymorphism of AR gene was demonstrated by denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver staining. The PGK gene products were treated with Bst XI and resolved on agarose gel. Amongst the 17 female cases of PSH, 15 samples were successfully amplified for AR and PGK genes. The rates of polymorphism were 53% (8/15) and 27% (4/15) for AR and PGK genes respectively. Polygonal cells and surface cuboidal cells of 10 cases which were suitable for clonality study, showed the same loss of alleles (clonality ratio = 0) or unbalanced methylation pattern (clonality ratio < 0.25). The polygonal cells and surface cuboidal cells in PSH demonstrate patterns of monoclonal proliferation, indicating that both represent true neoplastic cells.

c-Myc Antagonises the Transcriptional Activity of the Androgen Receptor in Prostate Cancer Affecting Key Gene Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Barfeld, Stefan J; Urbanucci, Alfonso; Itkonen, Harri M; Fazli, Ladan; Hicks, Jessica L; Thiede, Bernd; Rennie, Paul S; Yegnasubramanian, Srinivasan; DeMarzo, Angelo M; Mills, Ian G

2017-04-01

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common non-cutaneous cancer in men. The androgen receptor (AR), a ligand-activated transcription factor, constitutes the main drug target for advanced cases of the disease. However, a variety of other transcription factors and signaling networks have been shown to be altered in patients and to influence AR activity. Amongst these, the oncogenic transcription factor c-Myc has been studied extensively in multiple malignancies and elevated protein levels of c-Myc are commonly observed in PCa. Its impact on AR activity, however, remains elusive. In this study, we assessed the impact of c-Myc overexpression on AR activity and transcriptional output in a PCa cell line model and validated the antagonistic effect of c-MYC on AR-targets in patient samples. We found that c-Myc overexpression partially reprogrammed AR chromatin occupancy and was associated with altered histone marks distribution, most notably H3K4me1 and H3K27me3. We found c-Myc and the AR co-occupy a substantial number of binding sites and these exhibited enhancer-like characteristics. Interestingly, c-Myc overexpression antagonised clinically relevant AR target genes. Therefore, as an example, we validated the antagonistic relationship between c-Myc and two AR target genes, KLK3 (alias PSA, prostate specific antigen), and Glycine N-Methyltransferase (GNMT), in patient samples. Our findings provide unbiased evidence that MYC overexpression deregulates the AR transcriptional program, which is thought to be a driving force in PCa. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

c-Myc Antagonises the Transcriptional Activity of the Androgen Receptor in Prostate Cancer Affecting Key Gene Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan J. Barfeld

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Prostate cancer (PCa is the most common non-cutaneous cancer in men. The androgen receptor (AR, a ligand-activated transcription factor, constitutes the main drug target for advanced cases of the disease. However, a variety of other transcription factors and signaling networks have been shown to be altered in patients and to influence AR activity. Amongst these, the oncogenic transcription factor c-Myc has been studied extensively in multiple malignancies and elevated protein levels of c-Myc are commonly observed in PCa. Its impact on AR activity, however, remains elusive. In this study, we assessed the impact of c-Myc overexpression on AR activity and transcriptional output in a PCa cell line model and validated the antagonistic effect of c-MYC on AR-targets in patient samples. We found that c-Myc overexpression partially reprogrammed AR chromatin occupancy and was associated with altered histone marks distribution, most notably H3K4me1 and H3K27me3. We found c-Myc and the AR co-occupy a substantial number of binding sites and these exhibited enhancer-like characteristics. Interestingly, c-Myc overexpression antagonised clinically relevant AR target genes. Therefore, as an example, we validated the antagonistic relationship between c-Myc and two AR target genes, KLK3 (alias PSA, prostate specific antigen, and Glycine N-Methyltransferase (GNMT, in patient samples. Our findings provide unbiased evidence that MYC overexpression deregulates the AR transcriptional program, which is thought to be a driving force in PCa.

Melatonin Receptor Genes in Vertebrates

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Hua Dong Yin

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Melatonin receptors are members of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR family. Three genes for melatonin receptors have been cloned. The MT1 (or Mel1a or MTNR1A and MT2 (or Mel1b or MTNR1B receptor subtypes are present in humans and other mammals, while an additional melatonin receptor subtype, Mel1c (or MTNR1C, has been identified in fish, amphibians and birds. Another melatonin related orphan receptor, GPR50, which does not bind melatonin, is found exclusively in mammals. The hormone melatonin is secreted primarily by the pineal gland, with highest levels occurring during the dark period of a circadian cycle. This hormone acts systemically in numerous organs. In the brain, it is involved in the regulation of various neural and endocrine processes, and it readjusts the circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus. This article reviews recent studies of gene organization, expression, evolution and mutations of melatonin receptor genes of vertebrates. Gene polymorphisms reveal that numerous mutations are associated with diseases and disorders. The phylogenetic analysis of receptor genes indicates that GPR50 is an outgroup to all other melatonin receptor sequences. GPR50 may have separated from a melatonin receptor ancestor before the split between MTNR1C and the MTNR1A/B ancestor.

Critical role for complement receptor C5aR2 in the pathogenesis of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Poppelaars, Felix; van Werkhoven, Maaike B; Kotimaa, Juha; Veldhuis, Zwanida J; Ausema, Albertina; Broeren, Stefan G M; Damman, Jeffrey; Hempel, Julia C.; Leuvenink, Henri G D; Daha, Mohamed R; van Son, Willem J; van Kooten, Cees; van Os, Ronald P; Hillebrands, Jan-Luuk; Seelen, Marc A

The complement system, and specifically C5a, is involved in renal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. The 2 receptors for complement anaphylatoxin C5a (C5aR1 and C5aR2) are expressed on leukocytes as well as on renal epithelium. Extensive evidence shows that C5aR1 inhibition protects kidneys from IR

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) androgen receptor: sequence homology and up-regulation by the fungicide vinclozolin.

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Smolinsky, Amanda N; Doughman, Jennifer M; Kratzke, Liên-Thành C; Lassiter, Christopher S

2010-03-01

Steroid hormones regulate gene expression in organisms by binding to receptor proteins. These hormones include the androgens, which signal through androgen receptors (ARs). Endocrine disrupters (EDCs) are chemicals in the environment that adversely affect organisms by binding to nuclear receptors, including ARs. Vinclozolin, a fungicide used on fruit and vegetable crops, is a known anti-androgen, a type of EDC that blocks signals from testosterone and its derivatives. In order to better understand the effects of EDCs, further research on androgen receptors and other hormone signaling pathways is necessary. In this study, we demonstrate the evolutionary conservation between the genomic structure of the human and zebrafish ar genes and find that ar mRNA expression increases in zebrafish embryos exposed to vinclozolin, which may be evolutionarily conserved as well. At 48 and 72 h post-fertilization, vinclozolin-treated embryos express ar mRNA 8-fold higher than the control level. These findings suggest that zebrafish embryos attempt to compensate for the presence of an anti-androgen by increasing the number of androgen receptors available.

Long and noncoding RNAs (lnc-RNAs determine androgen receptor dependent gene expression in prostate cancer growth in vivo

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Richard G Pestell

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Hyperactive androgen receptor (AR activity remains a key determinant of the onset and progression of prostate cancer and resistance to current therapies. The mechanisms governing castrate resistant prostate cancer are poorly understood, but defining these molecular events is essential in order to impact deaths from prostate cancer. Yang et al. demonstrate that two lnc-RNAs known to be overexpressed in therapy resistant prostate cancer, PRNCR1 (also known as PCAT8 and PCGEM1, bound to the AR to enhance ligand-dependent and ligand-independent AR gene expression and proliferation of prostate cancer cells.1 The sequence of these interactions involved the binding of PRNCR1 to the acetylated AR and a subsequent association of DOT1L, which was required for the sequential recruitment of the lncRNA PCGEM1 to the AR amino terminus, which in turn was methylated by DOT1L.

A unique mosaic Turner syndrome patient with androgen receptor gene derived marker chromosome.

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Kalkan, Rasime; Özdağ, Nermin; Bundak, Rüveyde; Çirakoğlu, Ayşe; Serakinci, Nedime

2016-01-01

Patients with Turner syndrome are generally characterized by having short stature with no secondary sexual characteristics. Some abnormalities, such as webbed neck, renal malformations (>50%) and cardiac defects (10%) are less common. The intelligence of these patients is considered normal. Non-mosaic monosomy X is observed in approximately 45% of postnatal patients with Turner syndrome and the rest of the patients have structural abnormalities or mosaicism involving 46,X,i(Xq), 45,X/46,XX, 45,X and other variants. The phenotype of 45,X/46,X,+mar individuals varies by the genetic continent and degree of the mosaicism. The gene content of the marker chromosome is the most important when correlating the phenotype with the genotype. Here we present an 11-year-old female who was referred for evaluation of her short stature and learning disabilities. Conventional cytogenetic investigation showed a mosaic 45,X/46,X,+mar karyotype. Fluorescence in situ hybridization showed that the marker chromosome originated from the X chromosome within the androgen receptor (AR) and X-inactive specific transcript (XIST) genes. Therefore, it is possible that aberrant activation of the marker chromosome, compromising the AR and XIST genes, may modify the Turner syndrome phenotype.

Mechanisms and Regulation of Gene Expression by Androgen Receptor in Prostate Cancer

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Wang, Zhengxin

2003-01-01

...) in the cytoplasm of LNCaP cells. Transient transfection assay revealed that p44 enhances AR-, glucocorticoid receptor-, and progesterone receptor- dependent transcription but not estrogen receptor- or thyroid hormone receptor-dependent transcription...

RiArsB and RiMT-11: Two novel genes induced by arsenate in arbuscular mycorrhiza.

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Maldonado-Mendoza, Ignacio E; Harrison, Maria J

Plants associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) increase their tolerance to arsenic-polluted soils. This study aims to investigate the genes involved in the AMF molecular response to arsenic pollution. Genes encoding proteins involved in arsenic metabolism were identified and their expression assessed by PCR or RT-qPCR. The As-inducible gene GiArsA (R. irregularis ABC ATPase component of the ArsAB arsenite efflux pump) and two new genes, an arsenate/arsenite permease component of ArsAB (RiArsB) and a methyltransferase type 11 (RiMT-11) were induced when arsenate was added to two-compartment in vitro monoxenic cultures of R. irregularis-transformed carrot roots. RiArsB and RiMT-11 expression in extraradical hyphae in response to arsenate displayed maximum induction 4-6 h after addition of 350 μM arsenate. Their expression was also detected in colonized root tissues grown in pots, or in the root-fungus compartment of two-compartment in vitro systems. We used a Medicago truncatula double mutant (mtpt4/mtpt8) to demonstrate that RiMT-11 and RiArsB transcripts accumulate in response to the addition of arsenate but not in response to phosphate. These results suggest that these genes respond to arsenate addition regardless of non-functional Pi symbiotic transport, and that RiMT-11 may be involved in arsenate detoxification by methylation in AMF-colonized tissues. Copyright © 2017 British Mycological Society. All rights reserved.

Antithetic regulation by β-adrenergic receptors of Gq receptor signaling via phospholipase C underlies the airway β-agonist paradox

OpenAIRE

McGraw, Dennis W.; Almoosa, Khalid F.; Paul, Richard J.; Kobilka, Brian K.; Liggett, Stephen B.

2003-01-01

β-adrenergic receptors (βARs) relax airway smooth muscle and bronchodilate, but chronic β-agonist treatment in asthma causes increased sensitivity to airway constriction (hyperreactivity) and is associated with exacerbations. This paradox was explored using mice with ablated βAR genes (βAR–/–) and transgenic mice overexpressing airway smooth muscle β2AR (β2AR-OE) representing two extremes: absence and persistent activity of airway βAR. Unexpectedly, βAR–/– mice, lacking these bronchodilating ...

The urinary metabolites of DINCH® have an impact on the activities of the human nuclear receptors ERα, ERβ, AR, PPARα and PPARγ.

Science.gov (United States)

Engel, Anika; Buhrke, Thorsten; Kasper, Stefanie; Behr, Anne-Cathrin; Braeuning, Albert; Jessel, Sönke; Seidel, Albrecht; Völkel, Wolfgang; Lampen, Alfonso

2018-05-01

DINCH ® (di-isononyl cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate) is a non-phthalate plasticizer that has been developed to replace phthalate plasticizers such as DEHP (di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate) or DINP (di-isononyl phthalate). DINCH ® is metabolized to its corresponding monoester and subsequently to oxidized monoester derivatives. These are conjugated to glucuronic acid and subject to urinary excretion. In contrast to DINCH ® , there are almost no toxicological data available regarding its primary and secondary metabolites. The present study aimed at the characterization of potential endocrine properties of DINCH ® and five DINCH ® metabolites by using reporter gene assays to monitor the activity of the human nuclear receptors ERα, ERβ, AR, PPARα and PPARγ in vitro. DINCH ® itself did not have any effect on the activity of these receptors whereas DINCH ® metabolites were shown to activate all these receptors. In the case of AR, DINCH ® metabolites predominantly enhanced dihydrotestosterone-stimulated AR activity. In the H295R steroidogenesis assay, neither DINCH ® nor any of its metabolites affected estradiol or testosterone synthesis. In conclusion, primary and secondary DINCH ® metabolites exert different effects at the molecular level compared to DINCH ® itself. All these in vitro effects of DINCH ® metabolites, however, were only observed at high concentrations such as 10 μM or above which is about three orders of magnitude above reported DINCH ® metabolite concentrations in human urine. Thus, the in vitro data do not support the notion that DINCH ® or any of the investigated metabolites may exert considerable endocrine effects in vivo at relevant human exposure levels. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Variation of bacterial communities and expression of Toll-like receptor genes in the rumen of steers differing in susceptibility to subacute ruminal acidosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yanhong; Oba, Masahito; Guan, Le Luo

2012-10-12

In order to determine differences in the ruminal bacterial community and host Toll-like receptor (TLR) gene expression of beef cattle with different susceptibility to acidosis, rumen papillae and content were collected from acidosis-susceptible (AS, n=3) and acidosis-resistant (AR, n=3) steers. The ruminal bacterial community was characterized using PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis. Global R analysis of bacterial profile similarity revealed that bacterial diversity was significantly different between AR and AS groups for both rumen content (P=0.001) and epithelial (P=0.002) communities. The copy number of total bacterial 16S rRNA genes in content of AS steers was 10-fold higher than that of AR steers, and the copy number of total 16S rRNA genes of epimural bacteria in AR steers was positively correlated with ruminal pH (r=0.59, P=0.04), and negatively correlated with total VFA concentration (r=-0.59, P=0.05). The expressions of host TLR2 and 4 genes were significantly higher in AR steers compared to those in AS steers. These findings enhance our understanding about the ruminal microbial ecology and host gene expression changes that may be useful in the prevention of ruminal acidosis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Control of βAR- and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA Receptor-Dependent cAMP Dynamics in Hippocampal Neurons.

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Andrew Chay

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Norepinephrine, a neuromodulator that activates β-adrenergic receptors (βARs, facilitates learning and memory as well as the induction of synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. Several forms of long-term potentiation (LTP at the Schaffer collateral CA1 synapse require stimulation of both βARs and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs. To understand the mechanisms mediating the interactions between βAR and NMDAR signaling pathways, we combined FRET imaging of cAMP in hippocampal neuron cultures with spatial mechanistic modeling of signaling pathways in the CA1 pyramidal neuron. Previous work implied that cAMP is synergistically produced in the presence of the βAR agonist isoproterenol and intracellular calcium. In contrast, we show that when application of isoproterenol precedes application of NMDA by several minutes, as is typical of βAR-facilitated LTP experiments, the average amplitude of the cAMP response to NMDA is attenuated compared with the response to NMDA alone. Models simulations suggest that, although the negative feedback loop formed by cAMP, cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA, and type 4 phosphodiesterase may be involved in attenuating the cAMP response to NMDA, it is insufficient to explain the range of experimental observations. Instead, attenuation of the cAMP response requires mechanisms upstream of adenylyl cyclase. Our model demonstrates that Gs-to-Gi switching due to PKA phosphorylation of βARs as well as Gi inhibition of type 1 adenylyl cyclase may underlie the experimental observations. This suggests that signaling by β-adrenergic receptors depends on temporal pattern of stimulation, and that switching may represent a novel mechanism for recruiting kinases involved in synaptic plasticity and memory.

[The impact of the androgen receptor splice variant AR-V7 on the prognosis and treatment of advanced prostate cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Thelen, P; Taubert, H; Duensing, S; Kristiansen, G; Merseburger, A S; Cronauer, M V

2018-01-25

A recently discovered mechanism enabling prostate cancer cells to escape the effects of endocrine therapies consists in the synthesis of C-terminally truncated, constitutively active androgen receptor (AR) splice variants (AR-V). Devoid of a functional C-terminal hormone/ligand binding domain, various AR-Vs are insensitive to therapies targeting the androgen/AR signalling axis. Preliminary studies suggest that AR-V7, the most common AR-V, is a promising predictive tumour marker and a relevant selection marker for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. This review critically outlines recent advances in AR-V7 diagnostics and presents an overview of current AR-V7 targeted therapies. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The Long Non-Coding RNA XIST Interacted with MiR-124 to Modulate Bladder Cancer Growth, Invasion and Migration by Targeting Androgen Receptor (AR).

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Xiong, Yaoyao; Wang, Long; Li, Yuan; Chen, Minfeng; He, Wei; Qi, Lin

2017-01-01

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) X-inactive specific transcript (XIST) is involved in the progression of several tumors. The interaction between lncRNA and miRNA or miRNA's target genes is reported to play crucial roles in malignancy. In addition, Androgen receptor (AR) is considered to be involved in bladder cancer progression. In this study, we investigated the role of XIST in human bladder cancer and its interaction with miR-124 and AR. XIST and AR expression was detected in bladder tumor samples and cell lines. Effects of XIST and AR on bladder cancer cells growth, invasion and migration were analyzed. Bioinformatic analysis and luciferase assays were used to identify the interaction among XIST, AR and miR-124. The correlations of miR-124 with XIST and AR in bladder cancer samples were statistically analyzed. XIST and AR were upregulated in bladder cancer tissues and positively correlated. Higher XIST and AR expression were related to poorer TNM stage of bladder cancer. XIST knockdown reduced bladder cancer cells' proliferation, invasion and migration. While this inhibitory effect could be partially restored by AR overexpression. XIST inhibited miR-124 expression by directly targeting. Moreover, miR-124 could bind to the 3'UTR of AR to regulate its expression. MiR-124 inhibition partially restored the XIST knockdown-induced reduction of AR, c-myc, p27, MMP13 and MMP9 expression. In bladder cancer tissues, miR-124 level was inversely correlated with the expression of XIST and AR, respectively. These findings indicated that XIST might be an oncogenic lncRNA that promoted the bladder cancer growth, invasion and migration via miR-124 dependent AR regulation. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

The Long Non-Coding RNA XIST Interacted with MiR-124 to Modulate Bladder Cancer Growth, Invasion and Migration by Targeting Androgen Receptor (AR

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Yaoyao Xiong

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Backgrounds/Aims: Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA X-inactive specific transcript (XIST is involved in the progression of several tumors. The interaction between lncRNA and miRNA or miRNA’s target genes is reported to play crucial roles in malignancy. In addition, Androgen receptor (AR is considered to be involved in bladder cancer progression. In this study, we investigated the role of XIST in human bladder cancer and its interaction with miR-124 and AR. Methods: XIST and AR expression was detected in bladder tumor samples and cell lines. Effects of XIST and AR on bladder cancer cells growth, invasion and migration were analyzed. Bioinformatic analysis and luciferase assays were used to identify the interaction among XIST, AR and miR-124. The correlations of miR-124 with XIST and AR in bladder cancer samples were statistically analyzed. Results: XIST and AR were upregulated in bladder cancer tissues and positively correlated. Higher XIST and AR expression were related to poorer TNM stage of bladder cancer. XIST knockdown reduced bladder cancer cells’ proliferation, invasion and migration. While this inhibitory effect could be partially restored by AR overexpression. XIST inhibited miR-124 expression by directly targeting. Moreover, miR-124 could bind to the 3’UTR of AR to regulate its expression. MiR-124 inhibition partially restored the XIST knockdown-induced reduction of AR, c-myc, p27, MMP13 and MMP9 expression. In bladder cancer tissues, miR-124 level was inversely correlated with the expression of XIST and AR, respectively. Conclusion: These findings indicated that XIST might be an oncogenic lncRNA that promoted the bladder cancer growth, invasion and migration via miR-124 dependent AR regulation.

Testosterone-Dependent Interaction between Androgen Receptor and Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Induces Liver Receptor Homolog 1 Expression in Rat Granulosa Cells

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Wu, Yanguang; Baumgarten, Sarah C.; Zhou, Ping

2013-01-01

Androgens play a major role in the regulation of normal ovarian function; however, they are also involved in the development of ovarian pathologies. These contrasting effects may involve a differential response of granulosa cells to the androgens testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). To determine the molecular pathways that mediate the distinct effects of T and DHT, we studied the expression of the liver receptor homolog 1 (LRH-1) gene, which is differentially regulated by these steroids. We found that although both T and DHT stimulate androgen receptor (AR) binding to the LRH-1 promoter, DHT prevents T-mediated stimulation of LRH-1 expression. T stimulated the expression of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and its interaction with the AR. T also promoted the recruitment of the AR/AHR complex to the LRH-1 promoter. These effects were not mimicked by DHT. We also observed that the activation of extracellular regulated kinases by T is required for AR and AHR interaction. In summary, T, but not DHT, stimulates AHR expression and the interaction between AHR and AR, leading to the stimulation of LRH-1 expression. These findings could explain the distinct response of granulosa cells to T and DHT and provide a molecular mechanism by which DHT negatively affects ovarian function. PMID:23689136

The Mouse Solitary Odorant Receptor Gene Promoters as Models for the Study of Odorant Receptor Gene Choice.

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Andrea Degl'Innocenti

Full Text Available In vertebrates, several anatomical regions located within the nasal cavity mediate olfaction. Among these, the main olfactory epithelium detects most conventional odorants. Olfactory sensory neurons, provided with cilia exposed to the air, detect volatile chemicals via an extremely large family of seven-transmembrane chemoreceptors named odorant receptors. Their genes are expressed in a monogenic and monoallelic fashion: a single allele of a single odorant receptor gene is transcribed in a given mature neuron, through a still uncharacterized molecular mechanism known as odorant receptor gene choice.Odorant receptor genes are typically arranged in genomic clusters, but a few are isolated (we call them solitary from the others within a region broader than 1 Mb upstream and downstream with respect to their transcript's coordinates. The study of clustered genes is problematic, because of redundancy and ambiguities in their regulatory elements: we propose to use the solitary genes as simplified models to understand odorant receptor gene choice.Here we define number and identity of the solitary genes in the mouse genome (C57BL/6J, and assess the conservation of the solitary status in some mammalian orthologs. Furthermore, we locate their putative promoters, predict their homeodomain binding sites (commonly present in the promoters of odorant receptor genes and compare candidate promoter sequences with those of wild-caught mice. We also provide expression data from histological sections.In the mouse genome there are eight intact solitary genes: Olfr19 (M12, Olfr49, Olfr266, Olfr267, Olfr370, Olfr371, Olfr466, Olfr1402; five are conserved as solitary in rat. These genes are all expressed in the main olfactory epithelium of three-day-old mice. The C57BL/6J candidate promoter of Olfr370 has considerably varied compared to its wild-type counterpart. Within the putative promoter for Olfr266 a homeodomain binding site is predicted. As a whole, our findings

A targeted genotyping approach enhances identification of variants in taste receptor and appetite/reward genes of potential functional importance for obesity-related porcine traits

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Cirera, S.; Clop, A.; Jacobsen, M. J.

2018-01-01

Taste receptors (TASRs) and appetite and reward (AR) mechanisms influence eating behaviour, which in turn affects food intake and risk of obesity. In a previous study, we used next generation sequencing to identify potentially functional mutations in TASR and AR genes and found indications...... for genetic associations between identified variants and growth and fat deposition in a subgroup of animals (n = 38) from the UNIK resource pig population. This population was created for studying obesity and obesity-related diseases. In the present study we validated results from our previous study...... by investigating genetic associations between 24 selected single nucleotide variants in TASR and AR gene variants and 35 phenotypes describing obesity and metabolism in the entire UNIK population (n = 564). Fifteen variants showed significant association with specific obesity-related phenotypes after Bonferroni...

Splicing Factor Prp8 Interacts With NES(AR) and Regulates Androgen Receptor in Prostate Cancer Cells.

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Wang, Dan; Nguyen, Minh M; Masoodi, Khalid Z; Singh, Prabhpreet; Jing, Yifeng; O'Malley, Katherine; Dar, Javid A; Dhir, Rajiv; Wang, Zhou

2015-12-01

Androgen receptor (AR) plays a pivotal role in the development of primary as well as advanced castration-resistant prostate cancer. Previous work in our lab identified a novel nuclear export signal (NES) (NES(AR)) in AR ligand-binding domain essential for AR nucleocytoplasmic trafficking. By characterizing the localization of green fluorescence protein (GFP)-tagged NES(AR), we designed and executed a yeast mutagenesis screen and isolated 7 yeast mutants that failed to display the NES(AR) export function. One of those mutants was identified as the splicing factor pre-mRNA processing factor 8 (Prp8). We further showed that Prp8 could regulate NES(AR) function using short hairpin RNA knockdown of Prp8 coupled with a rapamycin export assay in mammalian cells and knockdown of Prp8 could induce nuclear accumulation of GFP-tagged AR in PC3 cells. Prp8 expression was decreased in castration-resistant LuCaP35 xenograft tumors as compared with androgen-sensitive xenografts. Laser capture microdissection and quantitative PCR showed Prp8 mRNA levels were decreased in human prostate cancer specimens with high Gleason scores. In prostate cancer cells, coimmunoprecipitation and deletion mutagenesis revealed a physical interaction between Prp8 and AR mainly mediated by NES(AR). Luciferase assay with prostate specific antigen promoter-driven reporter demonstrated that Prp8 regulated AR transcription activity in prostate cancer cells. Interestingly, Prp8 knockdown also increased polyubiquitination of endogenous AR. This may be 1 possible mechanism by which it modulates AR activity. These results show that Prp8 is a novel AR cofactor that interacts with NES(AR) and regulates AR function in prostate cancer cells.

Noninvasive Detection of AR-FL/AR-V7 as a Predictive Biomarker for Therapeutic Resistance in Men with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

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2017-10-01

acknowledged federal support) 5. Antonarakis ES, Armstrong AJ, Dehm SM, Luo J. Androgen receptor variant-driven prostate cancer : clinical implications...Resistant Prostate Cancer abstract Purpose A splice variant of the androgen receptor , AR-V7, confers resistance to AR-targeted therapies (ATTs) but not...androgen receptor ; AR-V7, androgen receptor splice variant 7; mCRPC, metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer ; n/N, number of patients in that

Performance comparison of two androgen receptor splice variant 7 (AR-V7) detection methods.

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Bernemann, Christof; Steinestel, Julie; Humberg, Verena; Bögemann, Martin; Schrader, Andres Jan; Lennerz, Jochen K

2018-01-23

To compare the performance of two established androgen receptor splice variant 7 (AR-V7) mRNA detection systems, as paradoxical responses to next-generation androgen-deprivation therapy in AR-V7 mRNA-positive circulating tumour cells (CTC) of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) could be related to false-positive classification using detection systems with different sensitivities. We compared the performance of two established mRNA-based AR-V7 detection technologies using either SYBR Green or TaqMan chemistries. We assessed in vitro performance using eight genitourinary cancer cell lines and serial dilutions in three AR-V7-positive prostate cancer cell lines, as well as in 32 blood samples from patients with CRPC. Both assays performed identically in the cell lines and serial dilutions showed identical diagnostic thresholds. Performance comparison in 32 clinical patient samples showed perfect concordance between the assays. In particular, both assays determined AR-V7 mRNA-positive CTCs in three patients with unexpected responses to next-generation anti-androgen therapy. Thus, technical differences between the assays can be excluded as the underlying reason for the unexpected responses to next-generation anti-androgen therapy in a subset of AR-V7 patients. Irrespective of the method used, patients with AR-V7 mRNA-positive CRPC should not be systematically precluded from an otherwise safe treatment option. © 2018 The Authors BJU International © 2018 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Selected estrogen receptor 1 and androgen receptor gene polymorphisms in relation to risk of breast cancer and fibrocystic breast conditions among Chinese women.

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Sakoda, Lori C; Blackston, Christie R; Doherty, Jennifer A; Ray, Roberta M; Lin, Ming Gang; Gao, Dao Li; Stalsberg, Helge; Feng, Ziding; Thomas, David B; Chen, Chu

2011-02-01

Polymorphisms in sex hormone receptor-encoding genes may alter the activity of sex hormone receptors and thereby affect susceptibility to breast cancer and related outcomes. In a case-control study of women from Shanghai, China, we examined the risk of breast cancer and fibrocystic breast conditions associated with the ESR1 PvuII (rs2234693) and XbaI (rs9340799) and AR CAG repeat ((CAG)(n)) and GGC repeat ((GGC)(n)) polymorphisms among 614 women with breast cancer, 467 women with fibrocystic conditions, and 879 women without breast disease. We also evaluated whether risk differed by the presence/absence of proliferative changes (in the extratumoral epithelium or fibrocystic lesion), menopausal status, or body mass index (BMI). Age-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated using logistic regression. Only associations with AR (CAG)(n) and (GGC)(n) genotypes were detected. Allocating AR (CAG)(n) genotypes into six categories, with the (CAG)(22-24)/(CAG)(22-24) genotype category designated as the reference group, the (CAG)(>24)/(CAG)(>24) genotype category was associated with an increased risk of fibrocystic breast conditions (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1-3.0). Relative to the AR (GGC)(17)/(GGC)(17) genotype, the (GGC)(17)/(GGC)(14) genotype was associated with elevated risks of incident breast cancer (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.3-5.4) and fibrocystic conditions (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.1-4.5). Results did not differ according to proliferation status, menopausal status, or BMI. Although these data lend support for a link between AR variation and breast disease development, given the low frequency of the putative risk-conferring genotypes and other constraints, further confirmation of our results is needed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

StAR Enhances Transcription of Genes Encoding the Mitochondrial Proteases Involved in Its Own Degradation

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Bahat, Assaf; Perlberg, Shira; Melamed-Book, Naomi; Lauria, Ines; Langer, Thomas

2014-01-01

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) is essential for steroid hormone synthesis in the adrenal cortex and the gonads. StAR activity facilitates the supply of cholesterol substrate into the inner mitochondrial membranes where conversion of the sterol to a steroid is catalyzed. Mitochondrial import terminates the cholesterol mobilization activity of StAR and leads to mounting accumulation of StAR in the mitochondrial matrix. Our studies suggest that to prevent mitochondrial impairment, StAR proteolysis is executed by at least 2 mitochondrial proteases, ie, the matrix LON protease and the inner membrane complexes of the metalloproteases AFG3L2 and AFG3L2:SPG7/paraplegin. Gonadotropin administration to prepubertal rats stimulated ovarian follicular development associated with increased expression of the mitochondrial protein quality control system. In addition, enrichment of LON and AFG3L2 is evident in StAR-expressing ovarian cells examined by confocal microscopy. Furthermore, reporter studies of the protease promoters examined in the heterologous cell model suggest that StAR expression stimulates up to a 3.5-fold increase in the protease gene transcription. Such effects are StAR-specific, are independent of StAR activity, and failed to occur upon expression of StAR mutants that do not enter the matrix. Taken together, the results of this study suggest the presence of a novel regulatory loop, whereby acute accumulation of an apparent nuisance protein in the matrix provokes a mitochondria to nucleus signaling that, in turn, activates selected transcription of genes encoding the enrichment of mitochondrial proteases relevant for enhanced clearance of StAR. PMID:24422629

AR-v7 protein expression is regulated by protein kinase and phosphatase

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Li, Yinan; Xie, Ning; Gleave, Martin E.; Rennie, Paul S.; Dong, Xuesen

2015-01-01

Failure of androgen-targeted therapy and progression of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) are often attributed to sustained expression of the androgen receptor (AR) and its major splice variant, AR-v7. Although the new generation of anti-androgens such as enzalutamide effectively inhibits AR activity, accumulating pre-clinical and clinical evidence indicates that AR-v7 remains constitutively active in driving CRPC progression. However, molecular mechanisms which control AR-v7 protein expression remain unclear. We apply multiple prostate cancer cell models to demonstrate that enzalutamide induces differential activation of protein phosphatase-1 (PP-1) and Akt kinase depending on the gene context of cancer cells. The balance between PP-1 and Akt activation governs AR phosphorylation status and activation of the Mdm2 ubiquitin ligase. Mdm2 recognizes phosphorylated serine 213 of AR-v7, and induces AR-v7 ubiquitination and protein degradation. These findings highlight the decisive roles of PP-1 and Akt for AR-v7 protein expression and activities when AR is functionally blocked. PMID:26378044

Energy expenditure, body composition and insulin response to glucose in male twins discordant for the Trp64Arg polymorphism of the β3-adrenergic receptor gene

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Højlund, Kurt; Christiansen, Christian; Bjørnsbo, K.S.

2006-01-01

AIM: The tryptophan to arginine change in position 64 (Trp64Arg) polymorphism of the beta3-adrenergic receptor (beta3AR) gene has been associated with an increased prevalence of obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. In this, decreased rates of energy expenditure and impaired insulin...... and environmental background, the Trp64Arg polymorphism of the beta3AR gene is associated with lower fat mass, fasting insulin levels and an appropriate insulin response to glucose. Thus, heterozygosity for the Trp64Arg variant is unlikely to increase the risk of obesity, insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes....

Reproductive phase dependent daily variation in melatonin receptors (Mel(1a) and Mel(1b)), androgen receptor (AR) and lung associated immunity of Perdicula asiatica.

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Kharwar, R K; Haldar, C

2011-06-01

Our knowledge about the involvement of melatonin in the regulation of lung associated immune system (LAIS) is still poor though the melatonin receptor types (Mel(1a) and Mel(1b)) have been localized in lungs of some wild birds. We thought to explore the correlation between daily variation (within a 24h time scale) in peripheral melatonin and testosterone along with expression of melatonin receptors (Mel(1a) and Mel(1b)) and androgen receptor (AR) in lungs during reproductively active and inactive phases. Receptor expression of Mel(1b) was more prominent than Mel(1a) at all the time points during both the reproductive phases. The expression of AR was inversely related to both the melatonin and its receptor expression at the 24h time scale during both the reproductive phases. Results also reflected a parallel relationship of melatonin, melatonin receptors and all the immune parameters (total leukocyte count, lymphocyte count, % stimulation ratio) suggesting that peripheral melatonin might be responsible for daily periodicity of LAIS. The presence of androgen receptors in lung led us to propose that gonadal steroid does influence the LAIS. Therefore melatonin along with testosterone might be acting as a temporal synchronizer for daily rhythms in lung associated immunity in Perdicula asiatica during different reproductive phases. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identification of a new androgen receptor (AR) co-regulator BUD31 and related peptides to suppress wild-type and mutated AR-mediated prostate cancer growth via peptide screening and X-ray structure analysis.

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Hsu, Cheng-Lung; Liu, Jai-Shin; Wu, Po-Long; Guan, Hong-Hsiang; Chen, Yuh-Ling; Lin, An-Chi; Ting, Huei-Ju; Pang, See-Tong; Yeh, Shauh-Der; Ma, Wen-Lung; Chen, Chung-Jung; Wu, Wen-Guey; Chang, Chawnshang

2014-12-01

Treatment with individual anti-androgens is associated with the development of hot-spot mutations in the androgen receptor (AR). Here, we found that anti-androgens-mt-ARs have similar binary structure to the 5α-dihydrotestosterone-wt-AR. Phage display revealed that these ARs bound to similar peptides, including BUD31, containing an Fxx(F/H/L/W/Y)Y motif cluster with Tyr in the +5 position. Structural analyses of the AR-LBD-BUD31 complex revealed formation of an extra hydrogen bond between the Tyr+5 residue of the peptide and the AR. Functional studies showed that BUD31-related peptides suppressed AR transactivation, interrupted AR N-C interaction, and suppressed AR-mediated cell growth. Combination of peptide screening and X-ray structure analysis may serve as a new strategy for developing anti-ARs that simultaneously suppress both wt and mutated AR function. Copyright © 2014 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Adenosine A2A receptors and A2A receptor heteromers as key players in striatal function

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Sergi eFerre

2011-06-01

Full Text Available A very significant density of adenosine adenosine A2A receptors (A2ARs is present in the striatum, where they are preferentially localized postsynaptically in striatopallidal medium spiny neurons (MSNs. In this localization A2ARs establish reciprocal antagonistic interactions with dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs. In one type of interaction, A2AR and D2R are forming heteromers and, by means of an allosteric interaction, A2AR counteracts D2R-mediated inhibitory modulation of the effects of NMDA receptor stimulation in the striato-pallidal neuron. This interaction is probably mostly responsible for the locomotor depressant and activating effects of A2AR agonist and antagonists, respectively. The second type of interaction involves A2AR and D2R that do not form heteromers and takes place at the level of adenylyl-cyclase (AC. Due to a strong tonic effect of endogenous dopamine on striatal D2R, this interaction keeps A2AR from signaling through AC. However, under conditions of dopamine depletion or with blockade of D2R, A2AR-mediated AC activation is unleashed with an increased gene expression and activity of the striato-pallidal neuron and with a consequent motor depression. This interaction is probably the main mechanism responsible for the locomotor depression induced by D2R antagonists. Finally, striatal A2ARs are also localized presynaptically, in cortico-striatal glutamatergic terminals that contact the striato-nigral MSN. These presynaptic A2ARs heteromerize with A1 receptors (A1Rs and their activation facilitates glutamate release. These three different types of A2ARs can be pharmacologically dissected by their ability to bind ligands with different affinity and can therefore provide selective targets for drug development in different basal ganglia disorders.

Androgen receptor polyglutamine repeat length (AR-CAGn) modulates the effect of testosterone on androgen-associated somatic traits in Filipino young adult men.

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Ryan, Calen P; Georgiev, Alexander V; McDade, Thomas W; Gettler, Lee T; Eisenberg, Dan T A; Rzhetskaya, Margarita; Agustin, Sonny S; Hayes, M Geoffrey; Kuzawa, Christopher W

2017-06-01

The androgen receptor (AR) mediates expression of androgen-associated somatic traits such as muscle mass and strength. Within the human AR is a highly variable glutamine short-tandem repeat (AR-CAGn), and CAG repeat number has been inversely correlated to AR transcriptional activity in vitro. However, evidence for an attenuating effect of long AR-CAGn on androgen-associated somatic traits has been inconsistent in human populations. One possible explanation for this lack of consistency is that the effect of AR-CAGn on AR bioactivity in target tissues likely varies in relation to circulating androgen levels. We tested whether relationships between AR-CAGn and several androgen-associated somatic traits (waist circumference, lean mass, arm muscle area, and grip strength) were modified by salivary (waking and pre-bed) and circulating (total) testosterone (T) levels in young adult males living in metropolitan Cebu, Philippines (n = 675). When men's waking T was low, they had a reduction in three out of four androgen-associated somatic traits with lengthening AR-CAGn (p AR-CAGn was associated with an increase in these same somatic traits. Our finding that longer AR-CAGn predicts greater androgen-associated trait expression among high-T men runs counter to in vitro work, but is generally consistent with the few prior studies to evaluate similar interactions in human populations. Collectively, these results raise questions about the applicability of findings derived from in vitro AR-CAGn studies to the receptor's role in maintaining androgen-associated somatic traits in human populations. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Environmental polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons affect androgen receptor activation in vitro

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Vinggaard, Anne Marie; Hnida, Christina; Larsen, John Christian

2000-01-01

Nine structurally different polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were tested for their ability to either agonize or antagonize the human androgen receptor (hAR) in a sensitive reporter gene assay based on CHO cells transiently cotransfected with a hAR vector and an MMTV-LUC vector. Benz...

The pluripotency factor Nanog is directly upregulated by the androgen receptor in prostate cancer cells.

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Kregel, Steven; Szmulewitz, Russell Z; Vander Griend, Donald J

2014-11-01

The Androgen Receptor (AR) is a nuclear hormone receptor that functions as a critical oncogene in all stages of prostate cancer progression, including progression to castration-resistance following androgen-deprivation therapy. Thus, identifying and targeting critical AR-regulated genes is one potential method to block castration-resistant cancer proliferation. Of particular importance are transcription factors that regulate stem cell pluripotency; many of these genes are emerging as critical oncogenes in numerous tumor cell types. Of these, Nanog has been previously shown to increase the self-renewal and stem-like properties of prostate cancer cells. Thus, we hypothesized that Nanog is a candidate AR target gene that may impart castration-resistance. We modulated AR signaling in LNCaP prostate cancer cells and assayed for Nanog expression. Direct AR binding to the NANOG promoter was tested using AR Chromatin Immunoprecipation (ChIP) and analyses of publically available AR ChIP-sequencing data-sets. Nanog over-expressing cells were analyzed for cell growth and cytotoxicity in response to the AR antagonist enzalutamide and the microtubule stabilizing agent docetaxel. AR signaling upregulates Nanog mRNA and protein. AR binds directly to the NANOG promoter, and was not identified within 75 kb of the NANOGP8 pseudogene, suggesting the NANOG gene locus was preferentially activated. Nanog overexpression in LNCaP cells increases overall growth, but does not increase resistance to enzalutamide or docetaxel. Nanog is a novel oncogenic AR target gene in prostate cancer cells, and stable expression of Nanog increases proliferation and growth of prostate cancer cells, but not resistance to enzalutamide or docetaxel. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Androgen-Sensitized Apoptosis of HPr-1AR Human Prostate Epithelial Cells.

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Congcong Chen

Full Text Available Androgen receptor (AR signaling is crucial to the development and homeostasis of the prostate gland, and its dysregulation mediates common prostate pathologies. The mechanisms whereby AR regulates growth suppression and differentiation of luminal epithelial cells in the prostate gland and proliferation of malignant versions of these cells have been investigated in human and rodent adult prostate. However, the cellular stress response of human prostate epithelial cells is not well understood, though it is central to prostate health and pathology. Here, we report that androgen sensitizes HPr-1AR and RWPE-AR human prostate epithelial cells to cell stress agents and apoptotic cell death. Although 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT treatment alone did not induce cell death, co-treatment of HPr-1AR cells with DHT and an apoptosis inducer, such as staurosporine (STS, TNFt, or hydrogen peroxide, synergistically increased cell death in comparison to treatment with each apoptosis inducer by itself. We found that the synergy between DHT and apoptosis inducer led to activation of the intrinsic/mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, which is supported by robust cleavage activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. Further, the dramatic depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential that we observed upon co-treatment with DHT and STS is consistent with increased mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP in the pro-apoptotic mechanism. Interestingly, the synergy between DHT and apoptosis inducer was abolished by AR antagonists and inhibitors of transcription and protein synthesis, suggesting that AR mediates pro-apoptotic synergy through transcriptional regulation of MOMP genes. Expression analysis revealed that pro-apoptotic genes (BCL2L11/BIM and AIFM2 were DHT-induced, whereas pro-survival genes (BCL2L1/BCL-XL and MCL1 were DHT-repressed. Hence, we propose that the net effect of these AR-mediated expression changes shifts the balance of BCL2-family proteins

Association of Immune and Metabolic Receptors C5aR and C5L2 with Adiposity in Women

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Rezvani, Reza; Gupta, Abhishek; Marceau, Picard; Tchernof, André

2014-01-01

Adipose tissue receptors C5aR and C5L2 and their heterodimerization/functionality and interaction with ligands C5a and acylation stimulating protein (ASP) have been evaluated in cell and rodent studies. Their contribution to obesity factors in humans remains unclear. We hypothesized that C5a receptors, classically required for host defense, are also associated with adiposity. Anthropometry and fasting blood parameters were measured in 136 women divided by body mass index (BMI): normal/overweight (≤30 kg/m2; n = 34), obese I (≤45 kg/m2; n = 33), obese II (≤51 kg/m2; n = 33), and obese III (≤80 kg/m2; n = 36). Subcutaneous and omental adipose tissue C5aR and C5L2 expression were analysed. C5L2 expression was comparable between subcutaneous and omental across all BMI groups. Plasma ASP and ASP/omental C5L2 expression increased with BMI (P correlations between C5L2/C5aR and waist circumference, HDL-C, and adiponectin. Tissue and BMI differences in receptors and ligands, particularly in omental, suggest relationship to metabolic disturbances and highlight adipose-immune interactions. PMID:24523571

A targeted genotyping approach enhances identification of variants in taste receptor and appetite/reward genes of potential functional importance for obesity-related porcine traits.

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Cirera, S; Clop, A; Jacobsen, M J; Guerin, M; Lesnik, P; Jørgensen, C B; Fredholm, M; Karlskov-Mortensen, P

2018-04-01

Taste receptors (TASRs) and appetite and reward (AR) mechanisms influence eating behaviour, which in turn affects food intake and risk of obesity. In a previous study, we used next generation sequencing to identify potentially functional mutations in TASR and AR genes and found indications for genetic associations between identified variants and growth and fat deposition in a subgroup of animals (n = 38) from the UNIK resource pig population. This population was created for studying obesity and obesity-related diseases. In the present study we validated results from our previous study by investigating genetic associations between 24 selected single nucleotide variants in TASR and AR gene variants and 35 phenotypes describing obesity and metabolism in the entire UNIK population (n = 564). Fifteen variants showed significant association with specific obesity-related phenotypes after Bonferroni correction. Six of the 15 genes, namely SIM1, FOS, TAS2R4, TAS2R9, MCHR2 and LEPR, showed good correlation between known biological function and associated phenotype. We verified a genetic association between potentially functional variants in TASR/AR genes and growth/obesity and conclude that the combination of identification of potentially functional variants by next generation sequencing followed by targeted genotyping and association studies is a powerful and cost-effective approach for increasing the power of genetic association studies. © 2018 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.

The macrophage A2B adenosine receptor regulates tissue insulin sensitivity.

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Hillary Johnston-Cox

Full Text Available High fat diet (HFD-induced type 2 diabetes continues to be an epidemic with significant risk for various pathologies. Previously, we identified the A2b adenosine receptor (A2bAR, an established regulator of inflammation, as a regulator of HFD-induced insulin resistance. In particular, HFD was associated with vast upregulation of liver A2bAR in control mice, and while mice lacking this receptor showed augmented liver inflammation and tissue insulin resistance. As the A2bAR is expressed in different tissues, here, we provide the first lead to cellular mechanism by demonstrating that the receptor's influence on tissue insulin sensitivity is mediated via its expression in macrophages. This was shown using a newly generated transgenic mouse model expressing the A2bAR gene in the macrophage lineage on an otherwise A2bAR null background. Reinstatement of macrophage A2bAR expression in A2bAR null mice fed HFD restored insulin tolerance and tissue insulin signaling to the level of control mice. The molecular mechanism for this effect involves A2bAR-mediated changes in cyclic adenosine monophosphate in macrophages, reducing the expression and release of inflammatory cytokines, which downregulate insulin receptor-2. Thus, our results illustrate that macrophage A2bAR signaling is needed and sufficient for relaying the protective effect of the A2bAR against HFD-induced tissue inflammation and insulin resistance in mice.

Coagulation factor VII is regulated by androgen receptor in breast cancer.

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Naderi, Ali

2015-02-01

Androgen receptor (AR) is widely expressed in breast cancer; however, there is limited information on the key molecular functions and gene targets of AR in this disease. In this study, gene expression data from a cohort of 52 breast cancer cell lines was analyzed to identify a network of AR co-expressed genes. A total of 300 genes, which were significantly enriched for cell cycle and metabolic functions, showed absolute correlation coefficients (|CC|) of more than 0.5 with AR expression across the dataset. In this network, a subset of 35 "AR-signature" genes were highly co-expressed with AR (|CC|>0.6) that included transcriptional regulators PATZ1, NFATC4, and SPDEF. Furthermore, gene encoding coagulation factor VII (F7) demonstrated the closest expression pattern with AR (CC=0.716) in the dataset and factor VII protein expression was significantly associated to that of AR in a cohort of 209 breast tumors. Moreover, functional studies demonstrated that AR activation results in the induction of factor VII expression at both transcript and protein levels and AR directly binds to a proximal region of F7 promoter in breast cancer cells. Importantly, AR activation in breast cancer cells induced endogenous factor VII activity to convert factor X to Xa in conjunction with tissue factor. In summary, F7 is a novel AR target gene and AR activation regulates the ectopic expression and activity of factor VII in breast cancer cells. These findings have functional implications in the pathobiology of thromboembolic events and regulation of factor VII/tissue factor signaling in breast cancer. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Phospho-kinase profile of triple negative breast cancer and androgen receptor signaling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuenca-López, María D; Montero, Juan C; Morales, Jorge C; Prat, Aleix; Pandiella, Atanasio; Ocana, Alberto

2014-01-01

The androgen receptor (AR) plays a central role in the oncogenesis of different tumors, as is the case in prostate cancer. In triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) a gene expression classification has described different subgroups including a luminal androgen subtype. The AR can be controlled by several mechanisms like the activation of membrane tyrosine kinases and downstream signaling pathways. However little is known in TNBC about how the AR is modulated by these mechanisms and the potential therapeutic strategists to inhibit its expression. We used human samples to evaluate the expression of AR by western-blot and phospho-proteomic kinase arrays that recognize membrane tyrosine kinase receptors and downstream mediators. Western-blots in human cell lines were carried out to analyze the expression and activation of individual proteins. Drugs against these kinases in different conditions were used to measure the expression of the androgen receptor. PCR experiments were performed to assess changes in the AR gene after therapeutic modulation of these pathways. AR is present in a subset of TNBC and its expression correlates with activated membrane receptor kinases-EGFR and PDGFRβ in human samples and cell lines. Inhibition of the PI3K/mTOR pathway in TNBC cell lines decreased notably the expression of the AR. Concomitant administration of the anti-androgen bicalutamide with the EGFR, PDGFRβ and Erk1/2 inhibitors, decreased the amount of AR compared to each agent given alone, and had an additive anti-proliferative effect. Administration of dihydrotestosterone augmented the expression of AR that was not modified by the inhibition of the PI3K/mTOR or Erk1/2 pathways. AR expression was posttranscriptionally regulated by PI3K or Erk1/2 inhibition. Our results describe the expression of the AR in TNBC as a druggable target and further suggest the combination of bicalutamide with inhibitors of EGFR, PDGFRβ or Erk1/2 for future development

ID4 promotes AR expression and blocks tumorigenicity of PC3 prostate cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komaragiri, Shravan Kumar; Bostanthirige, Dhanushka H.; Morton, Derrick J.; Patel, Divya; Joshi, Jugal; Upadhyay, Sunil; Chaudhary, Jaideep

2016-01-01

Deregulation of tumor suppressor genes is associated with tumorigenesis and the development of cancer. In prostate cancer, ID4 is epigenetically silenced and acts as a tumor suppressor. In normal prostate epithelial cells, ID4 collaborates with androgen receptor (AR) and p53 to exert its tumor suppressor activity. Previous studies have shown that ID4 promotes tumor suppressive function of AR whereas loss of ID4 results in tumor promoter activity of AR. Previous study from our lab showed that ectopic ID4 expression in DU145 attenuates proliferation and promotes AR expression suggesting that ID4 dependent AR activity is tumor suppressive. In this study, we examined the effect of ectopic expression of ID4 on highly malignant prostate cancer cell, PC3. Here we show that stable overexpression of ID4 in PC3 cells leads to increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation and migration. In addition, in vivo studies showed a decrease in tumor size and volume of ID4 overexpressing PC3 cells, in nude mice. At the molecular level, these changes were associated with increased androgen receptor (AR), p21, and AR dependent FKBP51 expression. At the mechanistic level, ID4 may regulate the expression or function of AR through specific but yet unknown AR co-regulators that may determine the final outcome of AR function. - Highlights: • ID4 expression induces AR expression in PC3 cells, which generally lack AR. • ID4 expression increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation and invasion. • Overexpression of ID4 reduces tumor growth of subcutaneous xenografts in vivo. • ID4 induces p21 and FKBP51 expression- co-factors of AR tumor suppressor activity.

ID4 promotes AR expression and blocks tumorigenicity of PC3 prostate cancer cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Komaragiri, Shravan Kumar; Bostanthirige, Dhanushka H.; Morton, Derrick J.; Patel, Divya; Joshi, Jugal; Upadhyay, Sunil; Chaudhary, Jaideep, E-mail: jchaudhary@cau.edu

2016-09-09

Deregulation of tumor suppressor genes is associated with tumorigenesis and the development of cancer. In prostate cancer, ID4 is epigenetically silenced and acts as a tumor suppressor. In normal prostate epithelial cells, ID4 collaborates with androgen receptor (AR) and p53 to exert its tumor suppressor activity. Previous studies have shown that ID4 promotes tumor suppressive function of AR whereas loss of ID4 results in tumor promoter activity of AR. Previous study from our lab showed that ectopic ID4 expression in DU145 attenuates proliferation and promotes AR expression suggesting that ID4 dependent AR activity is tumor suppressive. In this study, we examined the effect of ectopic expression of ID4 on highly malignant prostate cancer cell, PC3. Here we show that stable overexpression of ID4 in PC3 cells leads to increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation and migration. In addition, in vivo studies showed a decrease in tumor size and volume of ID4 overexpressing PC3 cells, in nude mice. At the molecular level, these changes were associated with increased androgen receptor (AR), p21, and AR dependent FKBP51 expression. At the mechanistic level, ID4 may regulate the expression or function of AR through specific but yet unknown AR co-regulators that may determine the final outcome of AR function. - Highlights: • ID4 expression induces AR expression in PC3 cells, which generally lack AR. • ID4 expression increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation and invasion. • Overexpression of ID4 reduces tumor growth of subcutaneous xenografts in vivo. • ID4 induces p21 and FKBP51 expression- co-factors of AR tumor suppressor activity.

Research progress of the bitter taste receptor genes in primates.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Ping; Luo, Rui-Jian

2018-02-20

Among the five basic tastes (umami, sweet, bitter, salty and sour), the perception of bitterness is believed to protect animals from digesting toxic and harmful substances, thus it is vital for animal survival. The taste of bitterness is triggered by the interaction between bitter substances and bitter taste receptors, which are encoded by Tas2rs. The gene numbers vary largely across species to meet different demands. So far, several ligands of bitter receptors have been identified in primates. They also discovered that the selective pressure of certain bitter taste receptor genes vary across taxa, genes or even different functional regions of the gene. In this review, we summarize the research progress of bitter taste receptor genes in primates by introducing the functional diversity of bitter receptors, the specific interaction between bitter taste receptors and ligands, the relationship between the evolutionary pattern of bitter taste receptors and diets, and the adaptive evolution of bitter taste receptor genes. We aim to provide a reference for further research on bitter receptor genes in primates.

CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins regulate expression of the human steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Christenson, L K; Johnson, P F; McAllister, J M; Strauss, J F

1999-09-10

Two putative CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) response elements were identified in the proximal promoter of the human steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) gene, which encodes a key protein-regulating steroid hormone synthesis. Expression of C/EBPalpha and -beta increased StAR promoter activity in COS-1 and HepG2 cells. Cotransfection of C/EBPalpha or -beta and steroidogenic factor 1, a transcription factor required for cAMP regulation of StAR expression, into COS-1 augmented 8-bromoadenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cAMP)-stimulated promoter activity. When the putative C/EBP response elements were mutated, individually or together, a pronounced decline in basal StAR promoter activity in human granulosa-lutein cells resulted, but the fold stimulation of promoter activity by 8-Br-cAMP was unaffected. Recombinant C/EBPalpha and -beta bound to the two identified sequences but not the mutated elements. Human granulosa-lutein cell nuclear extracts also bound these elements but not the mutated sequences. An antibody to C/EBPbeta, but not C/EBPalpha, supershifted the nuclear protein complex associated with the more distal element. The complex formed by nuclear extracts with the proximal element was not supershifted by either antibody. Western blot analysis revealed the presence of C/EBPalpha and C/EBPbeta in human granulosa-lutein cell nuclear extracts. C/EBPbeta levels were up-regulated 3-fold by 8-Br-cAMP treatment. Our studies demonstrate a role for C/EBPbeta as well as yet to be identified proteins, which can bind to C/EBP response elements, in the regulation of StAR gene expression and suggest a mechanism by which C/EBPbeta participates in the cAMP regulation of StAR gene transcription.

Salivary testosterone and a trinucleotide (CAG) length polymorphism in the androgen receptor gene predict amygdala reactivity in men.

Science.gov (United States)

Manuck, Stephen B; Marsland, Anna L; Flory, Janine D; Gorka, Adam; Ferrell, Robert E; Hariri, Ahmad R

2010-01-01

In studies employing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), reactivity of the amygdala to threat-related sensory cues (viz., facial displays of negative emotion) has been found to correlate positively with interindividual variability in testosterone levels of women and young men and to increase on acute administration of exogenous testosterone. Many of the biological actions of testosterone are mediated by intracellular androgen receptors (ARs), which exert transcriptional control of androgen-dependent genes and are expressed in various regions of the brain, including the amygdala. Transactivation potential of the AR decreases (yielding relative androgen insensitivity) with expansion a polyglutamine stretch in the N-terminal domain of the AR protein, as encoded by a trinucleotide (CAG) repeat polymorphism in exon 1 of the X-chromosome AR gene. Here we examined whether amygdala reactivity to threat-related facial expressions (fear, anger) differs as a function of AR CAG length variation and endogenous (salivary) testosterone in a mid-life sample of 41 healthy men (mean age=45.6 years, range: 34-54 years; CAG repeats, range: 19-29). Testosterone correlated inversely with participant age (r=-0.39, p=0.012) and positively with number of CAG repeats (r=0.45, p=0.003). In partial correlations adjusted for testosterone level, reactivity in the ventral amygdala was lowest among men with largest number of CAG repeats. This inverse association was seen in both the right (r(p)=-0.34, pleft (r(p)=-0.32, pdifferences in salivary testosterone, also in right (r=0.40, pleft (r=0.32, pdifferences in salivary testosterone also predicted dorsal amygdala reactivity and did so independently of CAG repeats, it is suggested that androgenic influences within this anatomically distinct region may be mediated, in part, by non-genomic or AR-independent mechanisms.

PDE4 and mAKAPβ are nodal organizers of β2-ARs nuclear PKA signaling in cardiac myocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bedioune, Ibrahim; Lefebvre, Florence; Lechêne, Patrick; Varin, Audrey; Domergue, Valérie; Kapiloff, Michael S; Fischmeister, Rodolphe; Vandecasteele, Grégoire

2018-05-03

β1- and β2-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs) produce different acute contractile effects on the heart partly because they impact on different cytosolic pools of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). They also exert different effects on gene expression but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The aim of this study was to understand the mechanisms by which β1- and β2-ARs regulate nuclear PKA activity in cardiomyocytes. We used cytoplasmic and nuclear targeted biosensors to examine cAMP signals and PKA activity in adult rat ventricular myocytes upon selective β1- or β2-ARs stimulation. Both β1- and β2-AR stimulation increased cAMP and activated PKA in the cytoplasm. While the two receptors also increased cAMP in the nucleus, only β1-ARs increased nuclear PKA activity and up-regulated the PKA target gene and pro-apoptotic factor, inducible cAMP element repressor (ICER). Inhibition of PDE4, but not Gi, PDE3, GRK2 nor caveolae disruption disclosed nuclear PKA activation and ICER induction by β2-ARs. Both nuclear and cytoplasmic PKI prevented nuclear PKA activation and ICER induction by β1-ARs, indicating that PKA activation outside the nucleus is required for subsequent nuclear PKA activation and ICER mRNA expression. Cytoplasmic PKI also blocked ICER induction by β2-AR stimulation (with concomitant PDE4 inhibition). However, in this case nuclear PKI decreased ICER up-regulation by only 30%, indicating that other mechanisms are involved. Down-regulation of mAKAPβ partially inhibited nuclear PKA activation upon β1-AR stimulation, and drastically decreased nuclear PKA activation upon β2-AR stimulation in the presence of PDE4 inhibition. β1- and β2-ARs differentially regulate nuclear PKA activity and ICER expression in cardiomyocytes. PDE4 insulates a mAKAPβ-targeted PKA pool at the nuclear envelope that prevents nuclear PKA activation upon β2-AR stimulation.

Structural analysis of complementary DNA and amino acid sequences of human and rat androgen receptors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, C.; Kokontis, J.; Liao, S.

1988-01-01

Structural analysis of cDNAs for human and rat androgen receptors (ARs) indicates that the amino-terminal regions of ARs are rich in oligo- and poly(amino acid) motifs as in some homeotic genes. The human AR has a long stretch of repeated glycines, whereas rat AR has a long stretch of glutamines. There is a considerable sequence similarity among ARs and the receptors for glucocorticoids, progestins, and mineralocorticoids within the steroid-binding domains. The cysteine-rich DNA-binding domains are well conserved. Translation of mRNA transcribed from AR cDNAs yielded 94- and 76-kDa proteins and smaller forms that bind to DNA and have high affinity toward androgens. These rat or human ARs were recognized by human autoantibodies to natural Ars. Molecular hybridization studies, using AR cDNAs as probes, indicated that the ventral prostate and other male accessory organs are rich in AR mRNA and that the production of AR mRNA in the target organs may be autoregulated by androgens

Sex Steroid Hormone Receptor Expression Affects Ovarian Cancer Survival

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jönsson, Jenny-Maria; Skovbjerg Arildsen, Nicolai; Malander, Susanne

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Although most ovarian cancers express estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), and androgen (AR) receptors, they are currently not applied in clinical decision making. We explored the prognostic impact of sex steroid hormone receptor protein and mRNA expression on survival...... in epithelial ovarian cancer. METHODS: Immunohistochemical stainings for ERα, ERβ, PR, and AR were assessed in relation to survival in 118 serous and endometrioid ovarian cancers. Expression of the genes encoding the four receptors was studied in relation to prognosis in the molecular subtypes of ovarian cancer...... in ovarian cancer and support that tumors should be stratified based on molecular as well as histological subtypes in future studies investigating the role of endocrine treatment in ovarian cancer....

Archaeal Clusters of Orthologous Genes (arCOGs): An Update and Application for Analysis of Shared Features between Thermococcales, Methanococcales, and Methanobacteriales

OpenAIRE

Makarova, Kira; Wolf, Yuri; Koonin, Eugene

2015-01-01

With the continuously accelerating genome sequencing from diverse groups of archaea and bacteria, accurate identification of gene orthology and availability of readily expandable clusters of orthologous genes are essential for the functional annotation of new genomes. We report an update of the collection of archaeal Clusters of Orthologous Genes (arCOGs) to cover, on average, 91% of the protein-coding genes in 168 archaeal genomes. The new arCOGs were constructed using refined algorithms for...

PTTG1, A novel androgen responsive gene is required for androgen-induced prostate cancer cell growth and invasion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Zheng; Jin, Bo; Jin, Yaqiong; Huang, Shengquan; Niu, Xiaohua; Mao, Zebin; Xin, Dianqi

2017-01-01

Androgens (AR) play an important role in initiation and progression of prostate cancer. It has been shown that AR exert their effects mainly through the androgen-activated AR which binds to androgen response elements (AREs) in the regulatory regions of target genes to regulate the transcription of androgen-responsive genes, thus, identification of AR downstream target gene is critical to understand androgen function in prostate cancer. In this study, our results showed that androgen treatment of LNCaP cells induced PTTG1 expression, which was blocked by the androgen receptor antagonist, Casodex. Bioinformatics analysis and experiments using PTTG1 promoter deletion mutants showed that the PTTG1 promoter contains a putative androgen response element (ARE), which localizes in the −851 to −836 region of the promoter. Androgen activated androgen receptor (AR) binding to this ARE was confirmed by Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay. Furthermore, Knockdown of PTTG1 expression using short hairpin RNA significantly reduced androgen-induced LNCaP cell growth and invasion. In addition, we showed PTTG1 is highly expressed in metastasis prostate cancer tissue. These results suggest that PTTG1 is a novel downstream target gene of androgen receptor and take part in prostate cancer proliferation and metastasis. - Highlights: • Androgen treatment of LNCaP cells induced PTTG1 expression. • Knockdown of PTTG1 expression significantly reduced androgen-induced LNCaP cell growth and invasion. • PTTG1 is highly expressed in metastasis prostate cancer tissue. • PTTG1 is a novel downstream target gene of androgen receptor.

Androgen Receptor Involvement in Rat Amelogenesis: An Additional Way for Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals to Affect Enamel Synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jedeon, Katia; Loiodice, Sophia; Salhi, Khaled; Le Normand, Manon; Houari, Sophia; Chaloyard, Jessica; Berdal, Ariane; Babajko, Sylvie

2016-11-01

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that interfere with the steroid axis can affect amelogenesis, leading to enamel hypomineralization similar to that of molar incisor hypomineralization, a recently described enamel disease. We investigated the sex steroid receptors that may mediate the effects of EDCs during rat amelogenesis. The expression of androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor (ER)-α, and progesterone receptor was dependent on the stage of ameloblast differentiation, whereas ERβ remained undetectable. AR was the only receptor selectively expressed in ameloblasts involved in final enamel mineralization. AR nuclear translocation and induction of androgen-responsive element-containing promoter activity upon T treatment, demonstrated ameloblast responsiveness to androgens. T regulated the expression of genes involved in enamel mineralization such as KLK4, amelotin, SLC26A4, and SLC5A8 but not the expression of genes encoding matrix proteins, which determine enamel thickness. Vinclozolin and to a lesser extent bisphenol A, two antiandrogenic EDCs that cause enamel defects, counteracted the actions of T. In conclusion, we show, for the first time, the following: 1) ameloblasts express AR; 2) the androgen signaling pathway is involved in the enamel mineralization process; and 3) EDCs with antiandrogenic effects inhibit AR activity and preferentially affect amelogenesis in male rats. Their action, through the AR pathway, may specifically and irreversibly affect enamel, potentially leading to the use of dental defects as a biomarker of exposure to environmental pollutants. These results are consistent with the steroid hormones affecting ameloblasts, raising the issue of the hormonal influence on amelogenesis and possible sexual dimorphism in enamel quality.

The AhR Ligand, TCDD, Regulates Androgen Receptor Activity Differently in Androgen-Sensitive versus Castration-Resistant Human Prostate Cancer Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maryam Ghotbaddini

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The reported biological effects of TCDD include induction of drug metabolizing enzymes, wasting syndrome and tumor promotion. TCDD elicits most of its effects through binding the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR. TCDD induced degradation of AhR has been widely reported and requires ubiquitination of the protein. The rapid depletion of AhR following TCDD activation serves as a mechanism to modulate AhR mediated gene induction. In addition to inducing AhR degradation, TCDD has been reported to induce degradation of hormone receptors. The studies reported here, evaluate the effect of TCDD exposure on androgen receptor (AR expression and activity in androgen-sensitive LNCaP and castration-resistant C4-2 prostate cancer cells. Our results show that TCDD exposure does not induce AhR or AR degradation in C4-2 cells. However, both AhR and AR are degraded in LNCaP cells following TCDD exposure. In addition, TCDD enhances AR phosphorylation and induces expression of AR responsive genes in LNCaP cells. Our data reveals that TCDD effect on AR expression and activity differs in androgen-sensitive and castration-resistant prostate cancer cell models.

Targeting Alternative Sites on the Androgen Receptor to Treat Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul S. Rennie

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Recurrent, metastatic prostate cancer continues to be a leading cause of cancer-death in men. The androgen receptor (AR is a modular, ligand-inducible transcription factor that regulates the expression of genes that can drive the progression of this disease, and as a consequence, this receptor is a key therapeutic target for controlling prostate cancer. The current drugs designed to directly inhibit the AR are called anti-androgens, and all act by competing with androgens for binding to the androgen/ligand binding site. Unfortunately, with the inevitable progression of the cancer to castration resistance, many of these drugs become ineffective. However, there are numerous other regulatory sites on this protein that have not been exploited therapeutically. The regulation of AR activity involves a cascade of complex interactions with numerous chaperones, co-factors and co-regulatory proteins, leading ultimately to direct binding of AR dimers to specific DNA androgen response elements within the promoter and enhancers of androgen-regulated genes. As part of the family of nuclear receptors, the AR is organized into modular structural and functional domains with specialized roles in facilitating their inter-molecular interactions. These regions of the AR present attractive, yet largely unexploited, drug target sites for reducing or eliminating androgen signaling in prostate cancers. The design of small molecule inhibitors targeting these specific AR domains is only now being realized and is the culmination of decades of work, including crystallographic and biochemistry approaches to map the shape and accessibility of the AR surfaces and cavities. Here, we review the structure of the AR protein and describe recent advancements in inhibiting its activity with small molecules specifically designed to target areas distinct from the receptor’s androgen binding site. It is anticipated that these new classes of anti-AR drugs will provide an additional

Synergic prodegradative activity of Bicalutamide and trehalose on the mutant androgen receptor responsible for spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Giorgetti, Elise; Rusmini, Paola; Crippa, Valeria; Cristofani, Riccardo; Boncoraglio, Alessandra; Cicardi, Maria E.; Galbiati, Mariarita; Poletti, Angelo

2015-01-01

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is an X-linked motoneuron disease due to a CAG triplet-repeat expansion in the androgen receptor (AR) gene, which is translated into an elongated polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in AR protein (ARpolyQ). ARpolyQ toxicity is activated by the AR ligand testosterone

AR copy number and AR signaling-directed therapies in castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Salvi, Samanta; Conteduca, Vincenza; Lolli, Cristian; Testoni, Sara; Casadio, Valentina; Zaccheroni, Andrea; Rossi, Lorena; Burgio, Salvatore Luca; Menna, Cecilia; Schepisi, Giuseppe; De Giorgi, Ugo

2017-11-22

Adaptive upregulation of androgen receptor (AR) is the most common event involved in the progression from hormone sensitive to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). AR signaling remains the main target of new AR signalling-directed therapies such as abiraterone and enzalutamide in CRPC patients. In this review, we discuss general mechanisms of resistance to AR-targeted therapies, with a focus on the role of AR copy number (CN). We reported methods and clinical applications of AR CN evaluation in tissue and liquid biopsy, thus to have a complete information regarding its role as predictive and prognostic biomarker. Outcomes of CRPC patients are reported to be highly variable as consequence of tumor heterogeneity. AR CN could contribute to patient selection and tumor monitoring in CRPC treated with new anti-cancer treatment as abiraterone and enzalutamide. Further studies to investigate AR CN effect to these agents and its potential combination with other prognostic or predictive clinical factors are necessary in the context of harmonized clinical trial design. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Cloning of human genes encoding novel G protein-coupled receptors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marchese, A.; Docherty, J.M.; Heiber, M. [Univ. of Toronto, (Canada)] [and others

1994-10-01

We report the isolation and characterization of several novel human genes encoding G protein-coupled receptors. Each of the receptors contained the familiar seven transmembrane topography and most closely resembled peptide binding receptors. Gene GPR1 encoded a receptor protein that is intronless in the coding region and that shared identity (43% in the transmembrane regions) with the opioid receptors. Northern blot analysis revealed that GPR1 transcripts were expressed in the human hippocampus, and the gene was localized to chromosome 15q21.6. Gene GPR2 encoded a protein that most closely resembled an interleukin-8 receptor (51% in the transmembrane regions), and this gene, not expressed in the six brain regions examined, was localized to chromosome 17q2.1-q21.3. A third gene, GPR3, showed identity (56% in the transmembrane regions) with a previously characterized cDNA clone from rat and was localized to chromosome 1p35-p36.1. 31 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

In Situ Detection and Quantification of AR-V7, AR-FL, PSA, and KRAS Point Mutations in Circulating Tumor Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Heliebi, Amin; Hille, Claudia; Laxman, Navya; Svedlund, Jessica; Haudum, Christoph; Ercan, Erkan; Kroneis, Thomas; Chen, Shukun; Smolle, Maria; Rossmann, Christopher; Krzywkowski, Tomasz; Ahlford, Annika; Darai, Evangelia; von Amsberg, Gunhild; Alsdorf, Winfried; König, Frank; Löhr, Matthias; de Kruijff, Inge; Riethdorf, Sabine; Gorges, Tobias M; Pantel, Klaus; Bauernhofer, Thomas; Nilsson, Mats; Sedlmayr, Peter

2018-03-01

Liquid biopsies can be used in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) to detect androgen receptor splice variant 7 (AR-V7), a splicing product of the androgen receptor. Patients with AR-V7-positive circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have greater benefit of taxane chemotherapy compared with novel hormonal therapies, indicating a treatment-selection biomarker. Likewise, in those with pancreatic cancer (PaCa), KRAS mutations act as prognostic biomarkers. Thus, there is an urgent need for technology investigating the expression and mutation status of CTCs. Here, we report an approach that adds AR-V7 or KRAS status to CTC enumeration, compatible with multiple CTC-isolation platforms. We studied 3 independent CTC-isolation devices (CellCollector, Parsortix, CellSearch) for the evaluation of AR-V7 or KRAS status of CTCs with in situ padlock probe technology. Padlock probes allow highly specific detection and visualization of transcripts on a cellular level. We applied padlock probes for detecting AR-V7, androgen receptor full length (AR-FL), and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in CRPC and KRAS wild-type (wt) and mutant (mut) transcripts in PaCa in CTCs from 46 patients. In situ analysis showed that 71% (22 of 31) of CRPC patients had detectable AR-V7 expression ranging from low to high expression [1-76 rolling circle products (RCPs)/CTC]. In PaCa patients, 40% (6 of 15) had KRAS mut expressing CTCs with 1 to 8 RCPs/CTC. In situ padlock probe analysis revealed CTCs with no detectable cytokeratin expression but positivity for AR-V7 or KRAS mut transcripts. Padlock probe technology enables quantification of AR-V7, AR-FL, PSA, and KRAS mut/wt transcripts in CTCs. The technology is easily applicable in routine laboratories and compatible with multiple CTC-isolation devices. © 2017 American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

Design, synthesis, and biological characterization of metabolically stable selective androgen receptor modulators.

Science.gov (United States)

Marhefka, Craig A; Gao, Wenqing; Chung, Kiwon; Kim, Juhyun; He, Yali; Yin, Donghua; Bohl, Casey; Dalton, James T; Miller, Duane D

2004-02-12

A series of nonsteroidal ligands were synthesized as second-generation agonists for the androgen receptor (AR). These ligands were designed to eliminate metabolic sites identified in one of our first-generation AR agonists, which was inactive in vivo due to its rapid metabolism to inactive constituents. The binding affinity of these compounds was evaluated using AR isolated from rat ventral prostate. These second-generation compounds bound the AR in a high affinity and stereoselective manner, with K(i) values ranging from about 4 to 130 nM. The ability of these ligands to stimulate AR-mediated transcriptional activation was examined in cells transfected with the human AR and a hormone-dependent luciferase reporter gene. Although some compounds were unable to stimulate AR-mediated transcription, several demonstrated activity similar to that of dihydrotestosterone (DHT, an endogenous steroidal ligand for the AR). We also evaluated the in vivo pharmacologic activity of selected compounds in castrated male rats. Three compounds were identified as selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs), exhibiting significant anabolic activity while having only moderate to minimal androgenic activity in vivo.

ONC201 Targets AR and AR-V7 Signaling, Reduces PSA, and Synergizes with Everolimus in Prostate Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lev, Avital; Lulla, Amriti R; Ross, Brian C; Ralff, Marie D; Makhov, Petr B; Dicker, David T; El-Deiry, Wafik S

2018-05-01

Androgen receptor (AR) signaling plays a key role in prostate cancer progression, and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a mainstay clinical treatment regimen for patients with advanced disease. Unfortunately, most prostate cancers eventually become androgen-independent and resistant to ADT with patients progressing to metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Constitutively activated AR variants (AR-V) have emerged as mediators of resistance to AR-targeted therapy and the progression of mCRPC, and they represent an important therapeutic target. Out of at least 15 AR-Vs described thus far, AR-V7 is the most abundant, and its expression correlates with ADT resistance. ONC201/TIC10 is the founding member of the imipridone class of small molecules and has shown anticancer activity in a broad range of tumor types. ONC201 is currently being tested in phase I/II clinical trials for advanced solid tumors, including mCRPC, and hematologic malignancies. There has been promising activity observed in patients in early clinical testing. This study demonstrates preclinical single-agent efficacy of ONC201 using in vitro and in vivo models of prostate cancer. ONC201 has potent antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects in both castration-resistant and -sensitive prostate cancer cells. Furthermore, the data demonstrate that ONC201 downregulates the expression of key drivers of prostate cancer such as AR-V7 and downstream target genes including the clinically used biomarker PSA (KLK3). Finally, the data also provide a preclinical rationale for combination of ONC201 with approved therapeutics for prostate cancer such as enzalutamide, everolimus (mTOR inhibitor), or docetaxel. Implications: The preclinical efficacy of ONC201 as a single agent or in combination, in hormone-sensitive or castration-resistant prostate cancer, suggests the potential for immediate clinical translation. Mol Cancer Res; 16(5); 754-66. ©2018 AACR . ©2018 American Association for Cancer

TBECH, 1,2-dibromo-4-(1,2 dibromoethyl) cyclohexane, alters androgen receptor regulation in response to mutations associated with prostate cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kharlyngdoh, Joubert Banjop; Asnake, Solomon; Pradhan, Ajay; Olsson, Per-Erik, E-mail: per-erik.olsson@oru.se

2016-09-15

Point mutations in the AR ligand-binding domain (LBD) can result in altered AR structures leading to changes of ligand specificity and functions. AR mutations associated to prostate cancer (PCa) have been shown to result in receptor activation by non-androgenic substances and anti-androgenic drugs. Two AR mutations known to alter the function of anti-androgens are the AR{sub T877A} mutation, which is frequently detected mutation in PCa tumors and the AR{sub W741C} that is rare and has been derived in vitro following exposure of cells to the anti-androgen bicalutamide. AR activation by non-androgenic environmental substances has been suggested to affect PCa progression. In the present study we investigated the effect of AR mutations (AR{sub W741C} and AR{sub T877A}) on the transcriptional activation following exposure of cells to an androgenic brominated flame retardant, 1,2-dibromo-4-(1,2 dibromoethyl) cyclohexane (TBECH, also named DBE-DBCH). The AR mutations resulted in higher interaction energies and increased transcriptional activation in response to TBECH diastereomer exposures. The AR{sub T877A} mutation rendered AR highly responsive to low levels of DHT and TBECH and led to increased AR nuclear translocation. Gene expression analysis showed a stronger induction of AR target genes in LNCaP cells (AR{sub T877A}) compared to T-47D cells (AR{sub WT}) following TBECH exposure. Furthermore, AR knockdown experiments confirmed the AR dependency of these responses. The higher sensitivity of AR{sub T877A} and AR{sub W741C} to low levels of TBECH suggests that cells with these AR mutations are more susceptible to androgenic endocrine disrupters. - Highlights: • TBECH, is an endocrine disrupting compound that differ in activity depending on AR structure and sequence. • TBECH interaction with the human AR-LBD containing the mutations W741C and T877A is increased compared to the wild type receptor • The mutations, W741C and T877A, are more potent than the wild type

The association between glutamine repeats in the androgen receptor gene and personality traits in dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius).

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Ramadan, Sherif; Nowier, Amira M; Hori, Yusuke; Inoue-Murayama, Miho

2018-01-01

Temperament traits such as fearfulness are important as they define an animal's responses to its environment and handling. The increasing automation of daily tasks and growing population limits contact between camels and humans. Such limitations contribute to fear of humans and changes in physical environment. Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) and androgen receptor (AR) genes are important candidates associated with mammal personality. In our analysis, MAOA exon 15 showed no polymorphism but a novel polymorphism was seen in the camel AR exon 1; 16, 17, 18, and 19 glutamine repeats were detected. We genotyped 138 camels belonging to four Egyptian breeds: Maghrabi (n = 90), Sudani (n = 15), Somali (n = 23), and Baladi (n = 10) for AR. Out of the 90 genotyped Maghrabi camels, we evaluated responses of 33 and 32 mature females to a novel object and exposure to an unfamiliar person, respectively. AR gene showed a significant association based on the principal component (PC) score, which indicated the fear of human touch, and the PC score indicates fear during interaction with novel objects. Individuals carrying a shorter genotype in homozygote (S/S) were found to be more fearful. Furthermore, we found that Sudani and Somali breeds had a higher frequency of shorter genotype (S/S), which was associated with increased fearfulness. These findings reflect the behavioral tendency and consequently, affect the use of this breed. This is the first report showing the role of AR glutamine repeats influencing a behavioral trait in dromedary camels and leading to inter-breed differences. Fear-related traits reported here are important because camels cope with various types of stresses and fear, resulting from the demands of intensive production systems and racing events. However, further studies, employing functional genomics and linkage analysis are necessary for confirming the relationship between fearfulness and genetic variation.

The association between glutamine repeats in the androgen receptor gene and personality traits in dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius.

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Sherif Ramadan

Full Text Available Temperament traits such as fearfulness are important as they define an animal's responses to its environment and handling. The increasing automation of daily tasks and growing population limits contact between camels and humans. Such limitations contribute to fear of humans and changes in physical environment. Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA and androgen receptor (AR genes are important candidates associated with mammal personality. In our analysis, MAOA exon 15 showed no polymorphism but a novel polymorphism was seen in the camel AR exon 1; 16, 17, 18, and 19 glutamine repeats were detected. We genotyped 138 camels belonging to four Egyptian breeds: Maghrabi (n = 90, Sudani (n = 15, Somali (n = 23, and Baladi (n = 10 for AR. Out of the 90 genotyped Maghrabi camels, we evaluated responses of 33 and 32 mature females to a novel object and exposure to an unfamiliar person, respectively. AR gene showed a significant association based on the principal component (PC score, which indicated the fear of human touch, and the PC score indicates fear during interaction with novel objects. Individuals carrying a shorter genotype in homozygote (S/S were found to be more fearful. Furthermore, we found that Sudani and Somali breeds had a higher frequency of shorter genotype (S/S, which was associated with increased fearfulness. These findings reflect the behavioral tendency and consequently, affect the use of this breed. This is the first report showing the role of AR glutamine repeats influencing a behavioral trait in dromedary camels and leading to inter-breed differences. Fear-related traits reported here are important because camels cope with various types of stresses and fear, resulting from the demands of intensive production systems and racing events. However, further studies, employing functional genomics and linkage analysis are necessary for confirming the relationship between fearfulness and genetic variation.

Androgen receptor gene CAG repeat polymorphism independently influences recovery of male sexual function after testosterone replacement therapy in postsurgical hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.

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Tirabassi, Giacomo; Delli Muti, Nicola; Corona, Giovanni; Maggi, Mario; Balercia, Giancarlo

2014-05-01

Few and contradictory studies have evaluated the possible influence of androgen receptor (AR) gene CAG repeat polymorphism on male sexual function. In this study we evaluated the role of AR gene CAG repeat polymorphism in the recovery of sexual function after testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in men affected by postsurgical hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, a condition which is often associated with hypopituitarism and in which the sexual benefits of TRT must be distinguished from those of pituitary-function replacement therapies. Fifteen men affected by postsurgical hypogonadotropic hypogonadism were retrospectively assessed before and after TRT. Main outcome measures included sexual parameters as assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire, levels of pituitary dependent hormones (total testosterone, free T3, free T4, cortisol, insulin-like growth factor-1 [IGF-1], prolactin), and results of genetic analysis (AR gene CAG repeat number). Plasma concentrations of free T3, free T4, cortisol, and prolactin did not vary significantly between the two phases, while testosterone and IGF-1 increased significantly after TRT. A significant improvement in all sexual parameters studied was found. The number of CAG triplets was negatively and significantly correlated with changes in all the sexual parameters, while opposite correlations were found between changes in sexual parameters and changes in testosterone levels; no correlation of change in IGF1 with change in sexual parameters was reported. On multiple linear regression analysis, after correction for changes in testosterone, nearly all the associations between the number of CAG triplets and changes in sexual parameters were confirmed. Shorter length AR gene CAG repeat number is associated with the recovery of sexual function after TRT in postsurgical male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, independently of the effects of concomitant pituitary-replacement therapies. © 2014 International Society

Orphan nuclear receptor TLX contributes to androgen insensitivity in castration-resistant prostate cancer via its repression of androgen receptor transcription.

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Jia, Lin; Wu, Dinglan; Wang, Yuliang; You, Wenxing; Wang, Zhu; Xiao, Lijia; Cai, Ganhui; Xu, Zhenyu; Zou, Chang; Wang, Fei; Teoh, Jeremy Yuen-Chun; Ng, Chi-Fai; Yu, Shan; Chan, Franky L

2018-03-20

The metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a lethal form of prostate cancer, in which the expression of androgen receptor (AR) is highly heterogeneous. Indeed, lower AR expression and attenuated AR signature activity is shown in CRPC tissues, especially in the subset of neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) and prostate cancer stem-like cells (PCSCs). However, the significance of AR downregulation in androgen insensitivity and de-differentiation of tumor cells in CRPC is poorly understood and much neglected. Our previous study shows that the orphan nuclear receptor TLX (NR2E1), which is upregulated in prostate cancer, plays an oncogenic role in prostate carcinogenesis by suppressing oncogene-induced senescence. In the present study, we further established that TLX exhibited an increased expression in metastatic CRPC. Further analyses showed that overexpression of TLX could confer resistance to androgen deprivation and anti-androgen in androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, whereas knockdown of endogenous TLX could potentiate the sensitivity to androgen deprivation and anti-androgen in prostate cancer cells. Our study revealed that the TLX-induced resistance to androgen deprivation and anti-androgen was mediated through its direct suppression of AR gene transcription and signaling in both androgen-stimulated and -unstimulated prostate cancer cells. We also characterized that TLX could bind directly to AR promoter and repress AR transcription by recruitment of histone modifiers, including HDAC1, HDAC3, and LSD1. Together, our present study shows, for the first time, that TLX can contribute to androgen insensitivity in CRPC via repression of AR gene transcription and signaling, and also implicates that targeting the druggable TLX may have a potential therapeutic significance in CRPC management, particularly in NEPC and PCSCs.

Thyrotoxic Periodic Paralysis and Polymorphisms of the , , and Genes in Men with Graves Disease

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Suyeon Park

2016-03-01

Full Text Available BackgroundThyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP is a rare complication of thyrotoxicosis characterized by acute attacks of muscle weakness and hypokalemia. Recently, variation in several genes was suggested to be associated with TPP. This study evaluated the genetic predisposition to TPP in terms of the β2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2, androgen receptor (AR, and γ-aminobutyric acid receptor α3 subunit (GABRA3 genes.MethodsThis study enrolled 48 men with Graves disease (GD and TPP, and 48 GD patients without TPP. We compared the frequencies of candidate polymorphisms between the two groups.ResultsThe frequency of the Gly16/Gly16 genotype in ADRB2 was not significantly associated with TPP (P=0.32. More CAG repeats (≥26 in the AR gene were not correlated with TPP (odds ratio [OR], 2.46; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81 to 8.09; P=0.08. The allele frequency of the TT genotype in the GABRA3 gene was not associated with TPP (OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 0.54 to 6.74; P=0.41.ConclusionThe polymorphisms in the ADRB2, AR, and GABRA3 genes could not explain the genetic susceptibility to TPP in Korean men with GD.

Identification and characterization of MEL-3, a novel AR antagonist that suppresses prostate cancer cell growth.

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Helsen, Christine; Marchand, Arnaud; Chaltin, Patrick; Munck, Sebastian; Voet, Arnout; Verstuyf, Annemieke; Claessens, Frank

2012-06-01

Antiandrogens are an important component of prostate cancer therapy as the androgen receptor (AR) is the key regulator of prostate cancer growth and survival. Current AR antagonists, such as bicalutamide and hydroxyflutamide, have a low affinity for the AR and as a result block AR signaling insufficiently. Moreover, many patients develop a resistance for bicalutamide or hydroxyflutamide during therapy or show a clinical improvement after withdrawal of the antiandrogen. New and more effective AR antagonists are needed to ensure follow-up of these patients. We therefore developed a screening system to identify novel AR antagonists from a collection of compounds. MEL-3 [8-(propan-2-yl)-5,6-dihydro-4H-pyrazino[3,2,1-jk]carbazole] was selected as potent inhibitor of the AR and was further characterized in vitro. On different prostate cancer cell lines MEL-3 displayed an improved therapeutic profile compared with bicalutamide. Not only cell growth was inhibited but also the expression of androgen-regulated genes: PSA and FKBP5. Prostate cancer is often associated with mutated ARs that respond to a broadened spectrum of ligands including the current antiandrogens used in the clinic, hydroxyflutamide and bicalutamide. The activity of two mutant receptors (AR T877A and AR W741C) was shown to be reduced in presence of MEL-3, providing evidence that MEL-3 can potentially be a follow-up treatment for bicalutamide- and hydroxyflutamide-resistant patients. The mechanism of action of MEL-3 on the molecular level was further explored by comparing the structure-activity relationship of different chemical derivatives of MEL-3 with the in silico docking of MEL-3 derivatives in the binding pocket of the AR. ©2012 AACR

Overexpression of yeast ArDH gene in chloroplasts confers salinity tolerance in plants (abstract)

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Khan, M.S.; Kanwal, B.; Khalid, A.M.; Zafar, Y.; Malik, K.A.

2005-01-01

Water stress due to salinity and drought is the main limiting factor for plant growth, productivity and quality. A common response to water deficit is the accumulation of osmoprotectants such as sugars and amino acids. In yeast, arabitol dehydrogenase is found responsible for the production of arabitol from ribulose-5-phosphate. All plants synthesize ribulose-5-phosphate via pentose pathway in chloroplasts.. Therefore, osmotolerance of the plants could be enhanced through metabolic engineering of chloroplasts by introducing ArDH gene into the plastome, which is responsible for the conversion of ribulose-5- phosphate to arabitol. Here we report high-level expression of arabitol dehydrogenase (ArDH) in chloroplasts. Homoplasmic transgenic plants were recovered on spectinomycin-containing regeneration medium. Transformed tobacco plants survived whereas non-transformed were severely stressed or killed when two weeks old seedlings were exposed to NaCl (up to 400 mM), suggesting a role for arabitol in salt tolerance. Seedlings survived up to five weeks on medium containing high salt concentrations (350-400 mM). Nevertheless, seedlings remained green and grew normal on concentrations up to 350 mM NaCl for several weeks. Hypothesis that membranes are protected under stress conditions due to the arabitol accumulation in chloroplasts, seedlings were grown in liquid medium containing polyethylene glycol (PEG, up to 6%). Seedlings were tolerant to 6% PEG, suggesting that ArDH enzyme protects membranes integrity under stress. Therefore, it is concluded that ArDH gene could be expressed in crop plants to withstand abiotic stresses. (author)

Androgen receptor and histone lysine demethylases in ovine placenta.

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Ellane R Cleys

Full Text Available Sex steroid hormones regulate developmental programming in many tissues, including programming gene expression during prenatal development. While estradiol is known to regulate placentation, little is known about the role of testosterone and androgen signaling in placental development despite the fact that testosterone rises in maternal circulation during pregnancy and in placenta-induced pregnancy disorders. We investigated the role of testosterone in placental gene expression, and focused on androgen receptor (AR. Prenatal androgenization decreased global DNA methylation in gestational day 90 placentomes, and increased placental expression of AR as well as genes involved in epigenetic regulation, angiogenesis, and growth. As AR complexes with histone lysine demethylases (KDMs to regulate AR target genes in human cancers, we also investigated if the same mechanism is present in the ovine placenta. AR co-immunoprecipitated with KDM1A and KDM4D in sheep placentomes, and AR-KDM1A complexes were recruited to a half-site for androgen response element (ARE in the promoter region of VEGFA. Androgenized ewes also had increased cotyledonary VEGFA. Finally, in human first trimester placental samples KDM1A and KDM4D immunolocalized to the syncytiotrophoblast, with nuclear KDM1A and KDM4D immunostaining also present in the villous stroma. In conclusion, placental androgen signaling, possibly through AR-KDM complex recruitment to AREs, regulates placental VEGFA expression. AR and KDMs are also present in first trimester human placenta. Androgens appear to be an important regulator of trophoblast differentiation and placental development, and aberrant androgen signaling may contribute to the development of placental disorders.

A biallelic RFLP of the human. alpha. 2-C4 adrenergic receptor gene (ADRA2RL2) localized on the short arm of chromosome 4 and encoding the putative. alpha. 2B receptor is identified with Bsu 36 L using a 1. 5 kb probe (p ADRA2RL2)

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Hoeche, M.R.; Berrettini, W.H. (Clinical Neurogenetics Branch, Bethesda, MD (USA)); Regan, J.W. (Duke Univ. Medical Center, Durham, NC (USA))

1989-12-11

A 1.5 kb Eco RI cDNA fragment representing the human alpha2-C4 adrenergic receptor (AR) gene encoding the putative alpha2B-AR, containing approximately 1270 bp of the coding and 240 bp of the 3{prime}flanking region, inserted into pSP65, was used as a probe (p ADRA2RL2). This clone was obtained by screening a human kidney lambda GT10 cDNA library with the 0.95 kb Pst I restriction fragment derived from the coding block of the gene for the human platelet alpha2-AR. Hybridization of human genomic DNA digested with Bsu 36 I identifies a two allele polymorphism with bands at 12 kb and 5.8 kb. 20 unrelated North American caucasian subjects were evaluated with frequencies of: A allele, 0.45; B allele, 0.55, heterozygosity (obs), 0.5. This alpha2-AR gene has been mapped in a separation effort in 59 CEPH reference pedigrees to the tip of the short arm of chromosome 4 just proximal to GB (4p 16.3) reported to be linked to the Huntingston's disease gene. Codominant inheritance was observed in seven families with two and three generations, respectively. The number of meioses scored was 95.

Oleocanthal Modulates Estradiol-Induced Gene Expression Involving Estrogen Receptor α.

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Keiler, Annekathrin Martina; Djiogue, Sefirin; Ehrhardt, Tino; Zierau, Oliver; Skaltsounis, Leandros; Halabalaki, Maria; Vollmer, Günter

2015-09-01

Oleocanthal is a bioactive compound from olive oil. It has attracted considerable attention as it is anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and has been shown to possess neuroprotective properties in vitro and in vivo. Delineated from its polyphenolic structure, the aim of this study was to characterize oleocanthal towards estrogenic properties. This might contribute to partly explain the beneficial effects described for the Mediterranean diet. Estrogenic properties of oleocanthal were assessed by different methods: a) stimulation of reporter gene activity in MVLN or RNDA cells either expressing estrogen receptor α or β, b) stimulation of luciferase reporter gene activity in U2OS osteosarcoma cells expressing estrogen receptor α or β, and c) elucidation of the impact on estradiol-induced gene expression in U2OS cells transduced with both estrogen receptors. Depending on the cell line origin, oleocanthal inhibited luciferase activity (MVLN, U2OS-estrogen receptor β) or weakly induced reporter gene activity at 10 µM in U2OS-estrogen receptor α cells. However, oleocanthal inhibited stimulation of luciferase activity by estradiol from both estrogen receptors. Oleocanthal, if given alone, did not stimulate gene expression in U2OS cells, but it significantly modulated the response of estradiol. Oleocanthal enhanced the effect of estradiol on the regulation of those genes, which are believed to be regulated through heterodimeric estrogen receptors. As the estrogenic response pattern of oleocanthal is rather unique, we compared the results obtained with oleacein. Oleocanthal binds to both estrogen receptors inducing estradiol-agonistic or antiagonistic effects depending on the cell line. Regarding regulation of gene expression in U2OS-estrogen receptor α/β cells, oleocanthal and oleacein enhanced estradiol-mediated regulation of heterodimer-regulated genes. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Androgen Receptor (AR Gene (CAGn and (GGNn Length Polymorphisms and Symptoms in Young Males With Long-Lasting Adverse Effects After Finasteride Use Against Androgenic Alopecia

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Sabina Cauci, PhD

2017-03-01

Conclusion: This study showed that short and/or long (CAGn and (GGNn repeats had different frequencies according to symptoms reported by patients with PFS, likely reflecting the vast array of genes modulated by the AR. This study showed a U-curvilinear profile of (CAGn repeats for skin dryness symptoms, where the two extremes exhibited a worse condition than medium repeats. Further studies are necessary to investigate the PFS pathophysiology using a precision medicine approach.

The potential of AR-V7 as a therapeutic target.

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Uo, Takuma; Plymate, Stephen R; Sprenger, Cynthia C

2018-03-01

The androgen receptor variant AR-V7 is gaining attention as a potential predictive marker for as well as one of the resistance mechanisms to the most current anti-androgen receptor (AR) therapies in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Accordingly, development of next-generation drugs that directly or indirectly target AR-V7 signaling is urgently needed. Areas covered: We review proposed mechanisms of drug resistance in relation to AR-V7 status, the mechanisms of generation of AR-V7, and its transcriptome, cistrome, and interactome. Pharmacological agents that interfere with these processes are being developed to counteract pan AR and AR-V7-specific signaling. Also, we address the current status of the preclinical and clinical studies targeting AR-V7 signaling. Expert opinion: AR-V7 is considered a true therapeutic target, however, it remains to be determined if AR-V7 is a principal driver or merely a bystander requiring heterodimerization with co-expressed full-length AR or other variants to drive CRPC progression. While untangling AR-V7 biology, multiple strategies are being developed to counteract drug resistance, including selective blockade of AR-V7 signaling as well as inhibition of pan-AR signaling. Ideally anti-AR therapies will be combined with agents preventing activation and enrichment of AR negative tumor cells that are otherwise depressed by AR activity axis.

Histone H4 Lys 20 methyltransferase SET8 promotes androgen receptor-mediated transcription activation in prostate cancer

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Yao, Lushuai [Laboratory of Genome Variations and Precision Bio-Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Li, Yanyan; Du, Fengxia [Laboratory of Genome Variations and Precision Bio-Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); Han, Xiao [Laboratory of Genome Variations and Precision Bio-Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Li, Xiaohua [Laboratory of Genome Variations and Precision Bio-Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); Niu, Yuanjie [Chawnshang Chang Sex Hormone Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070 (China); Ren, Shancheng, E-mail: renshancheng@gmail.com [Department of Urology, Shanghai Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Sun, Yingli, E-mail: sunyl@big.ac.cn [Laboratory of Genome Variations and Precision Bio-Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China)

2014-07-18

Highlights: • Dihydrotestosterone stimulates H4K20me1 enrichment at the PSA promoter. • SET8 promotes AR-mediated transcription activation. • SET8 interacts with AR and promotes cell proliferation. - Abstract: Histone methylation status in different lysine residues has an important role in transcription regulation. The effect of H4K20 monomethylation (H4K20me1) on androgen receptor (AR)-mediated gene transcription remains unclear. Here we show that AR agonist stimulates the enrichment of H4K20me1 and SET8 at the promoter of AR target gene PSA in an AR dependent manner. Furthermore, SET8 is crucial for the transcription activation of PSA. Co-immunoprecipitation analyses demonstrate that SET8 interacts with AR. Therefore, we conclude that SET8 is involved in AR-mediated transcription activation, possibly through its interaction with AR and H4K20me1 modification.

A simple screening method for detection of Klinefelter syndrome and other X-chromosome aneuploidies based on copy number of the androgen receptor gene

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Ottesen, A M; Garn, I D; Aksglaede, L

2007-01-01

Due to the high prevalence and variable phenotype of patients with Klinefelter syndrome, there is a need for a robust and rapid screening method allowing early diagnosis. Here, we report on the development and detailed clinical validation of a quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR)-based method...... of the copy number assessment of the androgen receptor (AR) gene, located to Xq11.2-q12. We analysed samples from 50 individuals, including a healthy male and female controls and patients with Klinefelter syndrome (47,XXY; 48,XXXY) (n = 28), mosaicisms (46,XX/47,XXY/48XXYY; 45,X/46,XY) (n = 3), other sex......-gene expression. The XIST-expression based assay was correct in only 29/36 samples (81%). Our findings demonstrated that the AR-qPCR technique is a simple and reliable screening method for diagnosis of patients with Klinefelter syndrome or other chromosomal disorders involving an aberrant number of X-chromosomes....

Gene expression changes in rat prostate after activation or blocking of the androgen and estrogen receptor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nellemann, Christine Lydia; Dalgaard, Majken; Holst, Bjørn

2005-01-01

responsive genes (complement C3, ER alpha, ER beta, AR, TRPM-2, PBPC3, ODC, and IGF-1 mRNA) was analyzed in rat ventral prostate by real time RT-PCR. Administration of estradiol benzoate (EB) to castrated testosterone-treated rats had no effect on reproductive organ weights or gene expression levels...... reversed by ICI 182780, and affected TRPM-2, PBP C3, ODC, IGF-1, AR, and ERa mRNA levels. AR expression in the prostate seemed to be under regulation of both estrogens and androgens, as ICI 182780 inhibited the testosterone-induced AR expression, and flutamide inhibited the EB-induced AR expression...... administration abolished the effects of EB. First choice of gene expression profiles in the Hershberger assay to study androgenic or anti-androgenic effects would be the traditional, TRPNI-2 and PBP C3, supplemented with the new complement C3....

Integrated olfactory receptor and microarray gene expression databases

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Crasto Chiquito J

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene expression patterns of olfactory receptors (ORs are an important component of the signal encoding mechanism in the olfactory system since they determine the interactions between odorant ligands and sensory neurons. We have developed the Olfactory Receptor Microarray Database (ORMD to house OR gene expression data. ORMD is integrated with the Olfactory Receptor Database (ORDB, which is a key repository of OR gene information. Both databases aim to aid experimental research related to olfaction. Description ORMD is a Web-accessible database that provides a secure data repository for OR microarray experiments. It contains both publicly available and private data; accessing the latter requires authenticated login. The ORMD is designed to allow users to not only deposit gene expression data but also manage their projects/experiments. For example, contributors can choose whether to make their datasets public. For each experiment, users can download the raw data files and view and export the gene expression data. For each OR gene being probed in a microarray experiment, a hyperlink to that gene in ORDB provides access to genomic and proteomic information related to the corresponding olfactory receptor. Individual ORs archived in ORDB are also linked to ORMD, allowing users access to the related microarray gene expression data. Conclusion ORMD serves as a data repository and project management system. It facilitates the study of microarray experiments of gene expression in the olfactory system. In conjunction with ORDB, ORMD integrates gene expression data with the genomic and functional data of ORs, and is thus a useful resource for both olfactory researchers and the public.

Lack of concordance and linkage disequilibrium among brothers for androgenetic alopecia and CAG/GGC haplotypes of the androgen receptor gene in Mexican families.

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Arteaga-Vázquez, Jazmín; López-Hernández, María A; Svyryd, Yevgeniya; Mutchinick, Osvaldo M

2015-12-01

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) or common baldness is the most prevalent form of hair loss in males. Familial predisposition has been recognized, and heritability estimated in monozygotic twins suggests an important genetic predisposition. Several studies indicate that the numbers of CAG/GGC repeats in exon 1 of the androgen receptor gene (AR) maybe associated with AGA susceptibility. To investigate a possible correlation between AR CAG/GGC haplotypes and the presence or not of alopecia in sibships with two or more brothers among them at least one of them has AGA. Thirty-two trios including an alopecic man, one brother alopecic or not, and their mother were enrolled. Sanger sequencing of the exon 1 of the AR gene was conducted to ascertain the number of CAG/GGC repeats in each individual. Heterozygous mother for the CAG/GGC haplotypes was an inclusion criterion to analyze the segregation haplotype patterns in the family. Concordance for the number of repeats and AGA among brothers was evaluated using kappa coefficient and the probability of association in the presence of genetic linkage between CAG and GGC repeats and AGA estimated by means of the family-based association test (FBAT). The median for the CAG and GGC repeats in the AR is similar to that reported in other populations. The CAG/GGC haplotypes were less polymorphic than that reported in other studies, especially due to the GGC number of repeats found. Kappa coefficient resulted in a concordance of 37.3% (IC 95%, 5.0-69.0%) for the AGA phenotype and identical CAG/GGC haplotypes. There was no evidence of linkage disequilibrium. Our results do not confirm a possible correlation or linkage disequilibrium between the CAG/GGC haplotypes of the AR gene and androgenetic alopecia in Mexican brothers. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Relationship between Birthweight and Longitudinal Changes of Blood Pressure Is Modulated by Beta-Adrenergic Receptor Genes: The Bogalusa Heart Study

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Wei Chen

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This study examines the genetic influence of β-adrenergic receptor gene polymorphisms (β2-AR Arg16Gly and β3-AR Trp64Arg on the relationship of birthweight to longitudinal changes of blood pressure (BP from childhood to adulthood in 224 black and 515 white adults, aged 21–47 years, enrolled in the Bogalusa Heart Study. Blacks showed significantly lower birthweight and frequencies of β2-AR Gly16 and β3-AR Trp64 alleles and higher BP levels and age-related trends than whites. In multivariable regression analyses using race-adjusted BP and birthweight, low birthweight was associated with greater increase in age-related trend of systolic BP (standardized regression coefficient β=−0.09, P=.002 and diastolic BP (β=−0.07, P=.037 in the combined sample of blacks and whites, adjusting for the first BP measurement in childhood, sex, age, and gestational age. Adjustment for the current body mass index strengthened the birthweight-BP association. Importantly, the strength of the association, measured as regression coefficients, was modulated by the combination of β2-AR and β3-AR genotypes for systolic (P=.042 for interaction and diastolic BP age-related trend (P=.039 for interaction, with blacks and whites showing a similar trend in the interaction. These findings indicate that the intrauterine programming of BP regulation later in life depends on β-AR genotypes.

Effects of long-term heat stress and dietary restriction on the expression of genes of steroidogenic pathway and small heat-shock proteins in rat testicular tissue.

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Bozkaya, F; Atli, M O; Guzeloglu, A; Kayis, S A; Yildirim, M E; Kurar, E; Yilmaz, R; Aydilek, N

2017-08-01

The aim was to investigate the effects of long-term heat stress and dietary restriction on the expression of certain genes involving in steroidogenic pathway and small heat-shock proteins (sHSPs) in rat testis. Sprague Dawley rats (n = 24) were equally divided into four groups. Group I and II were kept at an ambient temperature of 22°C, while Groups III and IV were reared at 38°C for 9 weeks. Feed was freely available for Group I and Group III, while Group II and Group IV were fed 60% of the diet consumed by their ad libitum counterparts. At the end of 9 weeks, testicles were collected under euthanasia. Total RNA was isolated from testis tissue samples. Expression profiles of the genes encoding androgen-binding protein, follicle-stimulating hormone receptor, androgen receptor, luteinising hormone receptor, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), cyclooxygenase-2 and sHSP genes were assessed at mRNA levels using qPCR. Long-term heat stress decreased the expression of StAR and HspB10 genes while dietary restriction upregulated StAR gene expression. The results suggested that long-term heat stress negatively affected the expression of StAR and HspB10 genes and the dietary restriction was able to reverse negative effect of heat stress on the expression of StAR gene in rat testis. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Implication of androgen receptor in urinary bladder cancer: a critical mini review.

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Rahmani, Arshad H; Alzohairy, Mohammad; Babiker, Ali Yousif Y; Khan, Amjad A; Aly, Salah M; Rizvi, Moshahid A

2013-01-01

Cancer is probably the most dreaded disease of mankind and the bladder cancer is the fifth most common type of cancer worldwide. It is a major cause of cancer morbidity and mortality. From amongst the bladder cancer, the Transitional Cell Carcinoma (TCC) is the most prevalent cancer of the bladder and accounts for 90% of all bladder cancer cases. Despite such a high prevalence, the molecular mechanism involved in the induction of bladder carcinoma and its progression are poorly understood. Tumorigenesis and tumor progression of bladder carcinomas are thought to result from the accumulation of multiple genetic alterations. The Androgen Receptor (AR) gene is located on the q arm of X chromosome (q11-12) and considered as a ligand-inducible transcription factor that regulates target gene expression. The Androgen plays a vital role in the development and maintenance of the normal urinary bladder. The AR is also involved in the development and progression of urinary bladder carcinoma, which is the most common type of carcinoma. Mutation in AR alters the ligand binding ability that may cause the progression and development of bladder cancer. Tumorigenesis and tumor progression are thought to result from changes in the function of hormonal receptor gene. The accumulation of the changes in AR expressions, determines the tumor's phenotype and ultimately the patient's clinical outcome. The early detection of which may help in management and prediction, how will it behave and respond to the therapeutic regimen. The present review aimed to study the mechanism and alteration of AR gene that play a vital role in the tumorIgenesis of bladder carcinoma.

Complement Receptors C5aR and C5L2 Are Associated with Metabolic Profile, Sex Hormones, and Liver Enzymes in Obese Women Pre- and Postbariatric Surgery

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Reza Rezvani

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. Obesity is associated with metabolic dysfunction with sex differences and chronic, low-grade inflammation. We proposed that hepatic expression of immune complement C3 related receptors (C3aR, C5aR, and C5L2 would be associated with pre- or postmenopausal status and metabolic profile in severely obese women. We hypothesized that C5L2/C5aR ratio, potentially influencing the ASP/C5L2 metabolic versus C5a/C5aR immune response, would predict metabolic profiles after weight loss surgery. Materials and Methods. Fasting plasma (hormone, lipid, and enzyme analysis and liver biopsies (RT-PCR gene expression were obtained from 91 women during surgery. Results. Hepatic C5L2 mRNA expression was elevated in pre- versus postmenopausal women (P<0.01 and correlated positively with circulating estradiol, estrone, ApoB, ApoA1, ApoA1/B, waist circumference, age, and LDL-C (all P<0.05. While plasma ASP was lower in pre- versus postmenopausal women (P<0.01, the hepatic C5L2/C5aR mRNA ratio was increased (P<0.001 and correlated positively with estrone (P<0.01 and estradiol (P<0.001 and negatively with circulating ApoB and liver enzymes ALT, AST, and GGT (all P<0.05. Over 12 months postoperatively, liver enzymes in low C5L2/C5aR mRNA ratio group remained higher (ALP and ALT, P<0.05, AST and GGT, P<0.001 2-way-ANOVA. Conclusion. C5L2-C5aR association with other mediators including estrogens may contribute to hepatic metabolic and inflammatory function.

Assessment of endocrine disruption potential of essential oils of culinary herbs and spices involving glucocorticoid, androgen and vitamin D receptors.

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Bartoňková, Iveta; Dvořák, Zdeněk

2018-04-25

Essential oils (EOs) of culinary herbs and spices are consumed on a daily basis. They are multicomponent mixtures of compounds with already demonstrated biological activities. Taking into account regular dietary intake and the chemical composition of EOs, they may be considered as candidates for endocrine-disrupting entities. Therefore, we examined the effects of 31 EOs of culinary herbs and spices on transcriptional activities of glucocorticoid receptor (GR), androgen receptor (AR) and vitamin D receptor (VDR). Using reporter gene assays in stably transfected cell lines, weak anti-androgen and anti-glucocorticoid activity was observed for EO of vanilla and nutmeg, respectively. Moderate augmentation of calcitriol-dependent VDR activity was caused by EOs of ginger, thyme, coriander and lemongrass. Mixed anti-glucocorticoid and VDR-stimulatory activities were displayed by EOs of turmeric, oregano, dill, caraway, verveine and spearmint. The remaining 19 EOs were inactive against all receptors under investigation. Analyses of GR, AR and VDR target genes by means of RT-PCR confirmed the VDR-stimulatory effects, but could not confirm the anti-glucocorticoid and anti-androgen effects of EOs. In conclusion, although we observed minor effects of several EOs on transcriptional activities of GR, AR and VDR, the toxicological significance of these effects is very low. Hence, 31 EOs of culinary herbs and spices may be considered safe, in terms of endocrine disruption involving receptors GR, AR and VDR.

Three novel and two known androgen receptor gene mutations ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

with androgen insensitivity syndrome in sex-reversed XY female patients. BALACHANDRAN .... Three novel AR gene mutations associated with AIS in XY sex-reversed females. Ta b le. 1 . ( contd. ) ..... disease, 1st edition. Springer Science + ...

Genomic organization, annotation, and ligand-receptor inferences of chicken chemokines and chemokine receptor genes based on comparative genomics

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Sze Sing-Hoi

2005-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Chemokines and their receptors play important roles in host defense, organogenesis, hematopoiesis, and neuronal communication. Forty-two chemokines and 19 cognate receptors have been found in the human genome. Prior to this report, only 11 chicken chemokines and 7 receptors had been reported. The objectives of this study were to systematically identify chicken chemokines and their cognate receptor genes in the chicken genome and to annotate these genes and ligand-receptor binding by a comparative genomics approach. Results Twenty-three chemokine and 14 chemokine receptor genes were identified in the chicken genome. All of the chicken chemokines contained a conserved CC, CXC, CX3C, or XC motif, whereas all the chemokine receptors had seven conserved transmembrane helices, four extracellular domains with a conserved cysteine, and a conserved DRYLAIV sequence in the second intracellular domain. The number of coding exons in these genes and the syntenies are highly conserved between human, mouse, and chicken although the amino acid sequence homologies are generally low between mammalian and chicken chemokines. Chicken genes were named with the systematic nomenclature used in humans and mice based on phylogeny, synteny, and sequence homology. Conclusion The independent nomenclature of chicken chemokines and chemokine receptors suggests that the chicken may have ligand-receptor pairings similar to mammals. All identified chicken chemokines and their cognate receptors were identified in the chicken genome except CCR9, whose ligand was not identified in this study. The organization of these genes suggests that there were a substantial number of these genes present before divergence between aves and mammals and more gene duplications of CC, CXC, CCR, and CXCR subfamilies in mammals than in aves after the divergence.

β2-Adrenergic receptor activation mobilizes intracellular calcium via a non-canonical cAMP-independent signaling pathway.

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Galaz-Montoya, Monica; Wright, Sara J; Rodriguez, Gustavo J; Lichtarge, Olivier; Wensel, Theodore G

2017-06-16

Beta adrenergic receptors (βARs) are G-protein-coupled receptors essential for physiological responses to the hormones/neurotransmitters epinephrine and norepinephrine which are found in the nervous system and throughout the body. They are the targets of numerous widely used drugs, especially in the case of the most extensively studied βAR, β 2 AR, whose ligands are used for asthma and cardiovascular disease. βARs signal through Gα s G-proteins and via activation of adenylyl cyclase and cAMP-dependent protein kinase, but some alternative downstream pathways have also been proposed that could be important for understanding normal physiological functioning of βAR signaling and its disruption in disease. Using fluorescence-based Ca 2+ flux assays combined with pharmacology and gene knock-out methods, we discovered a previously unrecognized endogenous pathway in HEK-293 cells whereby β 2 AR activation leads to robust Ca 2+ mobilization from intracellular stores via activation of phospholipase C and opening of inositol trisphosphate (InsP 3 ) receptors. This pathway did not involve cAMP, Gα s , or Gα i or the participation of the other members of the canonical β 2 AR signaling cascade and, therefore, constitutes a novel signaling mechanism for this receptor. This newly uncovered mechanism for Ca 2+ mobilization by β 2 AR has broad implications for adrenergic signaling, cross-talk with other signaling pathways, and the effects of βAR-directed drugs. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

α(1) adrenergic receptor agonist, phenylephrine, actively contracts early rat rib fracture callus ex vivo.

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McDonald, Stuart J; Dooley, Philip C; McDonald, Aaron C; Djouma, Elvan; Schuijers, Johannes A; Ward, Alex R; Grills, Brian L

2011-05-01

Early, soft fracture callus that links fracture ends together is smooth muscle-like in nature. We aimed to determine if early fracture callus could be induced to contract and relax ex vivo by similar pathways to smooth muscle, that is, contraction via α(1) adrenergic receptor (α(1) AR) activation with phenylephrine (PE) and relaxation via β(2) adrenergic receptor (β(2) AR) stimulation with terbutaline. A sensitive force transducer quantified 7 day rat rib fracture callus responses in modified Krebs-Henseliet (KH) solutions. Unfractured ribs along with 7, 14, and 21 day fracture calluses were analyzed for both α(1) AR and β(2) AR gene expression using qPCR, whilst 7 day fracture callus was examined via immunohistochemistry for both α(1) AR and β(2) AR- immunoreactivity. In 7 day callus, PE (10(-6)  M) significantly induced an increase in force that was greater than passive force generated in calcium-free KH (n = 8, mean 51% increase, 95% CI: 26-76%). PE-induced contractions in calluses were attenuated by the α(1) AR antagonist, prazosin (10(-6)  M; n = 7, mean 5% increase, 95% CI: 2-11%). Terbutaline did not relax callus. Gene expression of α(1) ARs was constant throughout fracture healing; however, β(2) AR expression was down-regulated at 7 days compared to unfractured rib (p contract. We propose that increased concentrations of α(1) AR agonists such as noradrenaline may tonically contract callus in vivo to promote osteogenesis. Copyright © 2010 Orthopaedic Research Society.

Identifying Environmental Chemicals as Agonists of the Androgen Receptor by Applying a Quantitative High-throughput Screening Platform

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Background: The androgen receptor (AR, NR3C4) is a nuclear receptor whose main function is acting as a transcription factor regulating gene expression for male sexual development and maintaining accessory sexual organ function. It is also a necessary component of female fertility...

The structure of the human interferon alpha/beta receptor gene.

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Lutfalla, G; Gardiner, K; Proudhon, D; Vielh, E; Uzé, G

1992-02-05

Using the cDNA coding for the human interferon alpha/beta receptor (IFNAR), the IFNAR gene has been physically mapped relative to the other loci of the chromosome 21q22.1 region. 32,906 base pairs covering the IFNAR gene have been cloned and sequenced. Primer extension and solution hybridization-ribonuclease protection have been used to determine that the transcription of the gene is initiated in a broad region of 20 base pairs. Some aspects of the polymorphism of the gene, including noncoding sequences, have been analyzed; some are allelic differences in the coding sequence that induce amino acid variations in the resulting protein. The exon structure of the IFNAR gene and of that of the available genes for the receptors of the cytokine/growth hormone/prolactin/interferon receptor family have been compared with the predictions for the secondary structure of those receptors. From this analysis, we postulate a common origin and propose an hypothesis for the divergence from the immunoglobulin superfamily.

Hormonal control of spermatogenesis: expression of FSJH receptor and androgen receptor genes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

L.J. Blok (Leen)

1992-01-01

textabstractFSH and testosterone are the main hormonal regulators of spermatogenesis. The actions of androgens and FSH are mediated by their respective receptors. Receptor gene expression (mRNA and protein). is an important determinant of hormone action. Biochemical aspects of the regulation of

Inhibition of androgen receptor by decoy molecules delays progression to castration-recurrent prostate cancer.

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Jae-Kyung Myung

Full Text Available Androgen receptor (AR is a member of the steroid receptor family and a therapeutic target for all stages of prostate cancer. AR is activated by ligand binding within its C-terminus ligand-binding domain (LBD. Here we show that overexpression of the AR NTD to generate decoy molecules inhibited both the growth and progression of prostate cancer in castrated hosts. Specifically, it was shown that lentivirus delivery of decoys delayed hormonal progression in castrated hosts as indicated by increased doubling time of tumor volume, prolonged time to achieve pre-castrate levels of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA and PSA nadir. These clinical parameters are indicative of delayed hormonal progression and improved therapeutic response and prognosis. Decoys reduced the expression of androgen-regulated genes that correlated with reduced in situ interaction of the AR with androgen response elements. Decoys did not reduce levels of AR protein or prevent nuclear localization of the AR. Nor did decoys interact directly with the AR. Thus decoys did not inhibit AR transactivation by a dominant negative mechanism. This work provides evidence that the AR NTD plays an important role in the hormonal progression of prostate cancer and supports the development of AR antagonists that target the AR NTD.

Inhibition of Androgen Receptor Nuclear Localization and Castration-Resistant Prostate Tumor Growth by Pyrroloimidazole-based Small Molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Masoodi, Khalid Z; Xu, Yadong; Dar, Javid A; Eisermann, Kurtis; Pascal, Laura E; Parrinello, Erica; Ai, Junkui; Johnston, Paul A; Nelson, Joel B; Wipf, Peter; Wang, Zhou

2017-10-01

The androgen receptor (AR) is a ligand-dependent transcription factor that controls the expression of androgen-responsive genes. A key step in androgen action, which is amplified in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), is AR nuclear translocation. Small molecules capable of inhibiting AR nuclear localization could be developed as novel therapeutics for CRPC. We developed a high-throughput screen and identified two structurally-related pyrroloimidazoles that could block AR nuclear localization in CRPC cells. We show that these two small molecules, 3-(4-ethoxyphenyl)-6,7-dihydro-5 H -pyrrolo[1,2- a ]imidazole (EPPI) and 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-6,7-dihydro-5 H -pyrrolo[1,2- a ]imidazole (CPPI) can inhibit the nuclear localization and transcriptional activity of AR and reduce the proliferation of AR-positive but not AR-negative prostate cancer cell lines. EPPI and CPPI did not inhibit nuclear localization of the glucocorticoid receptor or the estrogen receptor, suggesting they selectively target AR. In LNCaP tumor xenografts, CPPI inhibited the proliferation of relapsed LNCaP tumors. These findings suggest that EPPI and CPPI could serve as lead structures for the development of therapeutic agents for CRPC. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(10); 2120-9. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

Untangling dopamine-adenosine receptor-receptor assembly in experimental parkinsonism in rats

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Víctor Fernández-Dueñas

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Parkinson’s disease (PD is a dopaminergic-related pathology in which functioning of the basal ganglia is altered. It has been postulated that a direct receptor-receptor interaction – i.e. of dopamine D2 receptor (D2R with adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR (forming D2R-A2AR oligomers – finely regulates this brain area. Accordingly, elucidating whether the pathology prompts changes to these complexes could provide valuable information for the design of new PD therapies. Here, we first resolved a long-standing question concerning whether D2R-A2AR assembly occurs in native tissue: by means of different complementary experimental approaches (i.e. immunoelectron microscopy, proximity ligation assay and TR-FRET, we unambiguously identified native D2R-A2AR oligomers in rat striatum. Subsequently, we determined that, under pathological conditions (i.e. in a rat PD model, D2R-A2AR interaction was impaired. Collectively, these results provide definitive evidence for alteration of native D2R-A2AR oligomers in experimental parkinsonism, thus conferring the rationale for appropriate oligomer-based PD treatments.

A Somatically Acquired Enhancer of the Androgen Receptor Is a Noncoding Driver in Advanced Prostate Cancer. | Office of Cancer Genomics

Science.gov (United States)

Increased androgen receptor (AR) activity drives therapeutic resistance in advanced prostate cancer. The most common resistance mechanism is amplification of this locus presumably targeting the AR gene. Here, we identify and characterize a somatically acquired AR enhancer located 650 kb centromeric to the AR. Systematic perturbation of this enhancer using genome editing decreased proliferation by suppressing AR levels. Insertion of an additional copy of this region sufficed to increase proliferation under low androgen conditions and to decrease sensitivity to enzalutamide.

Androgen receptor (AR) promotes clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) migration and invasion via altering the circHIAT1/miR-195-5p/29a-3p/29c-3p/CDC42 signals.

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Wang, Kefeng; Sun, Yin; Tao, Wei; Fei, Xiang; Chang, Chawnshang

2017-05-28

Increasing evidence has demonstrated that the androgen receptor (AR) plays important roles to promote the metastasis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). The detailed mechanisms, especially how AR functions via altering the circular RNAs (circRNAs) remain unclear. Here we identified a new circRNA (named as circHIAT1) whose expression was lower in ccRCCs than adjacent normal tissues. Targeting AR could suppress ccRCC cell progression via increasing circHIAT1 expression. ChIP assay and luciferase assay demonstrated that AR suppressed circHIAT1 expression via regulating its host gene, Hippocampus Abundant Transcript 1 (HIAT1) expression at the transcriptional level. The consequences of AR-suppressed circHIAT1 resulted in deregulating miR-195-5p/29a-3p/29c-3p expressions, which increased CDC42 expression to enhance ccRCC cell migration and invasion. Increasing this newly identified signal via circHIAT1 suppressed AR-enhanced ccRCC cell migration and invasion. Together, these results suggested that circHIAT1 functioned as a metastatic inhibitor to suppress AR-enhanced ccRCC cell migration and invasion. Targeting this newly identified AR-circHIAT1-mediated miR-195-5p/29a-3p/29c-3p/CDC42 signals may help us develop potential new therapies to better suppress ccRCC metastasis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Androgen receptor signalling in Vascular Endothelial cells is dispensable for spermatogenesis and male fertility

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O'Hara Laura

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Androgen signalling is essential both for male development and function of the male reproductive system in adulthood. Within the adult testis, Germ cells (GC do not express androgen receptor (AR suggesting androgen-mediated promotion of spermatogenesis must act via AR-expressing somatic cell-types. Several recent studies have exploited the Cre/lox system of conditional gene-targeting to ablate AR function from key somatic cell-types in order to establish the cell-specific role of AR in promotion of male fertility. In this study, we have used a similar approach to specifically ablate AR-signalling from Vascular Endothelial (VE cells, with a view to defining the significance of androgen signalling within this cell-type on spermatogenesis. Findings AR expression in VE cells of the testicular vasculature was confirmed using an antibody against AR. A Cre-inducible fluorescent reporter line was used to empirically establish the utility of a mouse line expressing Cre Recombinase driven by the Tie2-Promoter, for targeting VE cells. Immunofluorescent detection revealed expression of YFP (and therefore Cre Recombinase function limited to VE cells and an interstitial population of cells, believed to be macrophages, that did not express AR. Mating of Tie2-Cre males to females carrying a floxed AR gene produced Vascular Endothelial Androgen Receptor Knockout (VEARKO mice and littermate controls. Ablation of AR from all VE cells was confirmed; however, no significant differences in bodyweight or reproductive tissue weights could be detected in VEARKO animals and spermatogenesis and fertility was unaffected. Conclusions We demonstrate the successful generation and empirical validation of a cell-specific knockout of AR from VE cells, and conclude that AR expression in VE cells is not essential for spermatogenesis or male fertility.

The fate of the duplicated androgen receptor in fishes: a late neofunctionalization event?

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Haendler Bernard

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Based on the observation of an increased number of paralogous genes in teleost fishes compared with other vertebrates and on the conserved synteny between duplicated copies, it has been shown that a whole genome duplication (WGD occurred during the evolution of Actinopterygian fish. Comparative phylogenetic dating of this duplication event suggests that it occurred early on, specifically in teleosts. It has been proposed that this event might have facilitated the evolutionary radiation and the phenotypic diversification of the teleost fish, notably by allowing the sub- or neo-functionalization of many duplicated genes. Results In this paper, we studied in a wide range of Actinopterygians the duplication and fate of the androgen receptor (AR, NR3C4, a nuclear receptor known to play a key role in sex-determination in vertebrates. The pattern of AR gene duplication is consistent with an early WGD event: it has been duplicated into two genes AR-A and AR-B after the split of the Acipenseriformes from the lineage leading to teleost fish but before the divergence of Osteoglossiformes. Genomic and syntenic analyses in addition to lack of PCR amplification show that one of the duplicated copies, AR-B, was lost in several basal Clupeocephala such as Cypriniformes (including the model species zebrafish, Siluriformes, Characiformes and Salmoniformes. Interestingly, we also found that, in basal teleost fish (Osteoglossiformes and Anguilliformes, the two copies remain very similar, whereas, specifically in Percomorphs, one of the copies, AR-B, has accumulated substitutions in both the ligand binding domain (LBD and the DNA binding domain (DBD. Conclusion The comparison of the mutations present in these divergent AR-B with those known in human to be implicated in complete, partial or mild androgen insensitivity syndrome suggests that the existence of two distinct AR duplicates may be correlated to specific functional differences that may be

Mechanism of Androgen Receptor Corepression by CKβBP2/CRIF1, a Multifunctional Transcription Factor Coregulator Expressed in Prostate Cancer

OpenAIRE

Tan, Jiann-an; Bai, Suxia; Grossman, Gail; Titus, Mark A.; Ford, O. Harris; Pop, Elena A.; Smith, Gary J.; Mohler, James L.; Wilson, Elizabeth M.; French, Frank S.

2013-01-01

The transcription factor coregulator Casein kinase IIβbinding protein 2 or CR6-interacting factor 1 (CKβBP2/CRIF1) binds the androgen receptor (AR) in prostate cancer cells and in response to dihydrotestosterone localizes with AR on the prostate-specific antigen gene enhancer, but does not bind DNA suggesting CKβBP2/CRIF1 localization in chromatin is determined by AR. In this study we show also that CKβBP2/CRIF1 inhibits wild-type AR and AR N-terminal transcriptional activity, binds to the AR...

Gene Transfer and Molecular Cloning of the Human NGF Receptor

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Moses V.; Bothwell, Mark A.; Ross, Alonzo H.; Koprowski, Hilary; Lanahan, Anthony A.; Buck, C. Randall; Sehgal, Amita

1986-04-01

Nerve growth factor (NGF) and its receptor are important in the development of cells derived from the neural crest. Mouse L cell transformants have been generated that stably express the human NGF receptor gene transfer with total human DNA. Affinity cross-linking, metabolic labeling and immunoprecipitation, and equilibrium binding with 125I-labeled NGF revealed that this NGF receptor had the same size and binding characteristics as the receptor from human melanoma cells and rat PC12 cells. The sequences encoding the NGF receptor were molecularly cloned using the human Alu repetitive sequence as a probe. A cosmid clone that contained the human NGF receptor gene allowed efficient transfection and expression of the receptor.

ING3 promotes prostate cancer growth by activating the androgen receptor.

Science.gov (United States)

Nabbi, Arash; McClurg, Urszula L; Thalappilly, Subhash; Almami, Amal; Mobahat, Mahsa; Bismar, Tarek A; Binda, Olivier; Riabowol, Karl T

2017-05-16

The androgen receptor (AR) is a major driver of prostate cancer, and increased AR levels and co-activators of the receptor promote the development of prostate cancer. INhibitor of Growth (ING) proteins target lysine acetyltransferase or lysine deacetylase complexes to the histone H3K4Me3 mark of active transcription, to affect chromatin structure and gene expression. ING3 is a stoichiometric member of the TIP60 lysine acetyltransferase complex implicated in prostate cancer development. Biopsies of 265 patients with prostate cancer were stained for ING3, pan-cytokeratin, and DNA. LNCaP and C4-2 androgen-responsive cells were used for in vitro assays including immunoprecipitation, western blotting, Luciferase reporter assay and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Cell viability and migration assays were performed in prostate cancer cell lines using scrambled siRNA or siRNA targeting ING3. We find that ING3 levels and AR activity positively correlate in prostate cancer. ING3 potentiates androgen effects, increasing expression of androgen-regulated genes and androgen response element-driven reporters to promote growth and anchorage-independent growth. Conversely, ING3 knockdown inhibits prostate cancer cell growth and invasion. ING3 activates the AR by serving as a scaffold to increase interaction between TIP60 and the AR in the cytoplasm, enhancing receptor acetylation and translocation to the nucleus. Activation is independent of ING3's ability to target the TIP60 complex to H3K4Me3, identifying a previously unknown chromatin-independent cytoplasmic activity for ING3. In agreement with in vitro observations, analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data (n = 498) and a prostate cancer tissue microarray (n = 256) show that ING3 levels are higher in aggressive prostate cancers, with high levels of ING3 predicting shorter patient survival in a low AR subgroup. Including ING3 levels with currently used indicators such as the Gleason score provides more

Characteristics of the mouse genomic histamine H1 receptor gene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Inoue, Isao; Taniuchi, Ichiro; Kitamura, Daisuke [Kyushu Univ., Fukuoka (Japan)] [and others

1996-08-15

We report here the molecular cloning of a mouse histamine H1 receptor gene. The protein deduced from the nucleotide sequence is composed of 488 amino acid residues with characteristic properties of GTP binding protein-coupled receptors. Our results suggest that the mouse histamine H1 receptor gene is a single locus, and no related sequences were detected. Interspecific backcross analysis indicated that the mouse histamine H1 receptor gene (Hrh1) is located in the central region of mouse Chromosome 6 linked to microphthalmia (Mitfmi), ras-related fibrosarcoma oncogene 1 (Raf1), and ret proto-oncogene (Ret) in a region of homology with human chromosome 3p. 12 refs., 3 figs.

Nanoscale organization of {beta}{sub 2}-adrenergic receptor-Venus fusion protein domains on the surface of mammalian cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vobornik, Dusan; Rouleau, Yanouchka; Haley, Jennifer [Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0R6 (Canada); Bani-Yaghoub, Mahmud [Institute for Biological Sciences, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0R6 (Canada); Taylor, Rod [Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0R6 (Canada); Johnston, Linda J., E-mail: Linda.Johnston@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca [Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0R6 (Canada); Pezacki, John Paul, E-mail: John.Pezacki@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca [Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0R6 (Canada)

2009-04-24

Adrenergic receptors are a key component of nanoscale multiprotein complexes that are responsible for controlling the beat rate in a mammalian heart. We demonstrate the ability of near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) to visualize {beta}{sub 2}-adrenergic receptors ({beta}{sub 2}AR) fused to the GFP analogue Venus at the nanoscale on HEK293 cells. The expression of the {beta}{sub 2}AR-Venus fusion protein was tightly controlled using a tetracycline-induced promoter. Both the size and density of the observed nanoscale domains are dependent on the level of induction and thus the level of protein expression. At concentrations between 100 and 700 ng/ml of inducer doxycycline, the size of domains containing the {beta}{sub 2}AR-Venus fusion protein appears to remain roughly constant, but the number of domains per cell increase. At 700 ng/ml doxycycline the functional receptors are organized into domains with an average diameter of 150 nm with a density similar to that observed for the native protein on primary murine cells. By contrast, larger micron-sized domains of {beta}{sub 2}AR are observed in the membrane of the HEK293 cells that stably overexpress {beta}{sub 2}AR-GFP and {beta}{sub 2}AR-eYFP. We conclude that precise chemical control of gene expression is highly advantageous for the use {beta}{sub 2}AR-Venus fusion proteins as models for {beta}{sub 2}AR function. These observations are critical for designing future cell models and assays based on {beta}{sub 2}AR, since the receptor biology is consistent with a relatively low density of nanoscale receptor domains.

Expression of Androgen Receptor Is Negatively Regulated By p53

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatouma Alimirah

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Increased expression of androgen receptor (AR in prostate cancer (PC is associated with transition to androgen independence. Because the progression of PC to advanced stages is often associated with the loss of p53 function, we tested whether the p53 could regulate the expression of AR gene. Here we report that p53 negatively regulates the expression of AR in prostate epithelial cells (PrECs. We found that in LNCaP human prostate cancer cells that express the wild-type p53 and AR and in human normal PrECs, the activation of p53 by genotoxic stress or by inhibition of p53 nuclear export downregulated the expression of AR. Furthermore, forced expression of p53 in LNCaP cells decreased the expression of AR. Conversely, knockdown of p53 expression in LNCaP cells increased the AR expression. Consistent with the negative regulation of AR expression by p53, the p53-null HCT116 cells expressed higher levels of AR compared with the isogenic HCT116 cells that express the wildtype p53. Moreover, we noted that in etoposide treated LNCaP cells p53 bound to the promoter region of the AR gene, which contains a potential p53 DNA-binding consensus sequence, in chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Together, our observations provide support for the idea that the loss of p53 function in prostate cancer cells contributes to increased expression of AR.

DBC1 promotes castration-resistant prostate cancer by positively regulating DNA binding and stability of AR-V7.

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Sue Jin; Jeong, Byong Chang; Kim, Hwa Jin; Lim, Joung Eun; Kwon, Ghee Young; Kim, Jeong Hoon

2018-03-01

Constitutively active AR-V7, one of the major androgen receptor (AR) splice variants lacking the ligand-binding domain, plays a key role in the development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and anti-androgen resistance. However, our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of AR-V7-driven transcription is limited. Here we report DBC1 as a key regulator of AR-V7 transcriptional activity and stability in CRPC cells. DBC1 functions as a coactivator for AR-V7 and is required for the expression of AR-V7 target genes including CDH2, a mesenchymal marker linked to CRPC progression. DBC1 is required for recruitment of AR-V7 to its target enhancers and for long-range chromatin looping between the CDH2 enhancer and promoter. Mechanistically, DBC1 enhances DNA-binding activity of AR-V7 by direct interaction and inhibits CHIP E3 ligase-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of AR-V7 by competing with CHIP for AR-V7 binding, thereby stabilizing and activating AR-V7. Importantly, DBC1 depletion suppresses the tumorigenic and metastatic properties of CRPC cells. Our results firmly establish DBC1 as a critical AR-V7 coactivator that plays a key role in the regulation of DNA binding and stability of AR-V7 and has an important physiological role in CRPC progression.

Neuroprotection by caffeine in the MPTP model of parkinson's disease and its dependence on adenosine A2A receptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, K; Di Luca, D G; Orrú, M; Xu, Y; Chen, J-F; Schwarzschild, M A

2016-05-13

Considerable epidemiological and laboratory data have suggested that caffeine, a nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist, may protect against the underlying neurodegeneration of parkinson's disease (PD). Although both caffeine and more specific antagonists of the A2A subtype of adenosine receptor (A2AR) have been found to confer protection in animal models of PD, the dependence of caffeine's neuroprotective effects on the A2AR is not known. To definitively determine its A2AR dependence, the effect of caffeine on 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6 tetra-hydropyridine (MPTP) neurotoxicity was compared in wild-type (WT) and A2AR gene global knockout (A2A KO) mice, as well as in central nervous system (CNS) cell type-specific (conditional) A2AR knockout (cKO) mice that lack the receptor either in postnatal forebrain neurons or in astrocytes. In WT and in heterozygous A2AR KO mice caffeine pretreatment (25mg/kgip) significantly attenuated MPTP-induced depletion of striatal dopamine. By contrast in homozygous A2AR global KO mice caffeine had no effect on MPTP toxicity. In forebrain neuron A2AR cKO mice, caffeine lost its locomotor stimulant effect, whereas its neuroprotective effect was mostly preserved. In astrocytic A2AR cKO mice, both caffeine's locomotor stimulant and protective properties were undiminished. Taken together, these results indicate that neuroprotection by caffeine in the MPTP model of PD relies on the A2AR, although the specific cellular localization of these receptors remains to be determined. Copyright © 2016 IBRO. All rights reserved.

Adenosine Receptors in Developing and Adult Mouse Neuromuscular Junctions and Functional Links With Other Metabotropic Receptor Pathways.

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Tomàs, Josep; Garcia, Neus; Lanuza, Maria A; Santafé, Manel M; Tomàs, Marta; Nadal, Laura; Hurtado, Erica; Simó-Ollé, Anna; Cilleros-Mañé, Víctor; Just-Borràs, Laia

2018-01-01

In the last few years, we have studied the presence and involvement in synaptogenesis and mature transmitter release of the adenosine autoreceptors (AR) in the mammalian neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Here, we review and bring together the previously published data to emphasize the relevance of these receptors for developmental axonal competition, synaptic loss and mature NMJ functional modulation. However, in addition to AR, activity-dependent mediators originating from any of the three cells that make the synapse (nerve, muscle, and glial cells) cross the extracellular cleft to generate signals in target metabotropic receptors. Thus, the integrated interpretation of the complementary function of all these receptors is needed. We previously studied, in the NMJ, the links of AR with mAChR and the neurotrophin receptor TrkB in the control of synapse elimination and transmitter release. We conclude that AR cooperate with these receptors through synergistic and antagonistic effects in the developmental synapse elimination process. In the adult NMJ, this cooperation is manifested so as that the functional integrity of a given receptor group depends on the other receptors operating normally (i.e., the functional integrity of mAChR depends on AR operating normally). These observations underlie the relevance of AR in the NMJ function.

Adenosine Receptors in Developing and Adult Mouse Neuromuscular Junctions and Functional Links With Other Metabotropic Receptor Pathways

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Josep Tomàs

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In the last few years, we have studied the presence and involvement in synaptogenesis and mature transmitter release of the adenosine autoreceptors (AR in the mammalian neuromuscular junction (NMJ. Here, we review and bring together the previously published data to emphasize the relevance of these receptors for developmental axonal competition, synaptic loss and mature NMJ functional modulation. However, in addition to AR, activity-dependent mediators originating from any of the three cells that make the synapse (nerve, muscle, and glial cells cross the extracellular cleft to generate signals in target metabotropic receptors. Thus, the integrated interpretation of the complementary function of all these receptors is needed. We previously studied, in the NMJ, the links of AR with mAChR and the neurotrophin receptor TrkB in the control of synapse elimination and transmitter release. We conclude that AR cooperate with these receptors through synergistic and antagonistic effects in the developmental synapse elimination process. In the adult NMJ, this cooperation is manifested so as that the functional integrity of a given receptor group depends on the other receptors operating normally (i.e., the functional integrity of mAChR depends on AR operating normally. These observations underlie the relevance of AR in the NMJ function.

Elevated expression of steroidogenesis pathway genes; CYP17, GATA6 and StAR in prenatally androgenized rats.

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Jahromi, Marziyeh Salehi; Tehrani, Fahimeh Ramezani; Noroozzadeh, Mahsa; Zarkesh, Maryam; Ghasemi, Asghar; Zadeh-Vakili, Azita

2016-11-15

It is believed that excess androgen exposure of the fetus, via altered gene expression, causes hyperandrogenism a key feature of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The aim of this study was to evaluate expression of Cytochrome P450-17 (CYP17), GATA-binding protein (GAGT6) and Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), genes of adult female rats prenatally exposed to androgen excess, closely reflect endocrine and ovarian disturbances of PCOS in women, by comparing them during different phases of estrus cycle with those of non-treated rats. Both the adult prenatally testosterone exposed and control rats (n=23, each) were divided into four groups based on their observed vaginal smear (proestrus, estrus, metestrus and diestrus) and the relative expression of CYP17, GATA6 and StAR genes was measured in ovarian theca cells using Cyber-green Real-Time PCR. Serum sex steroid hormones and gonadotropins levels were measured using the ELISA method; a comparison of these two groups showed that there was an overall increase in the studied genes (CYP17; 2.39 fold change, 95% CI: 1.23-3.55; PPCOS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Polymorphism in leptin receptor gene was associated with obesity in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The mutation in leptin receptor (LEPR) gene causes splicing abnormality that resulted in truncated receptor, aberrant signal transduction, leptin resistance, and obesity. This study aims to determine the association of LEPR gene polymorphisms, rs1137100 and rs1137101, on phenotype and leptin level between obese and ...

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Alpha Target Genes

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Maryam Rakhshandehroo

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα is a ligand-activated transcription factor involved in the regulation of a variety of processes, ranging from inflammation and immunity to nutrient metabolism and energy homeostasis. PPARα serves as a molecular target for hypolipidemic fibrates drugs which bind the receptor with high affinity. Furthermore, PPARα binds and is activated by numerous fatty acids and fatty acid-derived compounds. PPARα governs biological processes by altering the expression of a large number of target genes. Accordingly, the specific role of PPARα is directly related to the biological function of its target genes. Here, we present an overview of the involvement of PPARα in lipid metabolism and other pathways through a detailed analysis of the different known or putative PPARα target genes. The emphasis is on gene regulation by PPARα in liver although many of the results likely apply to other organs and tissues as well.

Selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) negatively regulate triple-negative breast cancer growth and epithelial:mesenchymal stem cell signaling.

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Narayanan, Ramesh; Ahn, Sunjoo; Cheney, Misty D; Yepuru, Muralimohan; Miller, Duane D; Steiner, Mitchell S; Dalton, James T

2014-01-01

The androgen receptor (AR) is the most highly expressed steroid receptor in breast cancer with 75-95% of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and 40-70% of ER-negative breast cancers expressing AR. Though historically breast cancers were treated with steroidal androgens, their use fell from favor because of their virilizing side effects and the emergence of tamoxifen. Nonsteroidal, tissue selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) may provide a novel targeted approach to exploit the therapeutic benefits of androgen therapy in breast cancer. Since MDA-MB-453 triple-negative breast cancer cells express mutated AR, PTEN, and p53, MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cells stably expressing wildtype AR (MDA-MB-231-AR) were used to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo anti-proliferative effects of SARMs. Microarray analysis and epithelial:mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) co-culture signaling studies were performed to understand the mechanisms of action. Dihydrotestosterone and SARMs, but not bicalutamide, inhibited the proliferation of MDA-MB-231-AR. The SARMs reduced the MDA-MB-231-AR tumor growth and tumor weight by greater than 90%, compared to vehicle-treated tumors. SARM treatment inhibited the intratumoral expression of genes and pathways that promote breast cancer development through its actions on the AR. SARM treatment also inhibited the metastasis-promoting paracrine factors, IL6 and MMP13, and subsequent migration and invasion of epithelial:MSC co-cultures. 1. AR stimulation inhibits paracrine factors that are important for MSC interactions and breast cancer invasion and metastasis. 2. SARMs may provide promise as novel targeted therapies to treat AR-positive triple-negative breast cancer.

Selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs negatively regulate triple-negative breast cancer growth and epithelial:mesenchymal stem cell signaling.

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Ramesh Narayanan

Full Text Available The androgen receptor (AR is the most highly expressed steroid receptor in breast cancer with 75-95% of estrogen receptor (ER-positive and 40-70% of ER-negative breast cancers expressing AR. Though historically breast cancers were treated with steroidal androgens, their use fell from favor because of their virilizing side effects and the emergence of tamoxifen. Nonsteroidal, tissue selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs may provide a novel targeted approach to exploit the therapeutic benefits of androgen therapy in breast cancer.Since MDA-MB-453 triple-negative breast cancer cells express mutated AR, PTEN, and p53, MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cells stably expressing wildtype AR (MDA-MB-231-AR were used to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo anti-proliferative effects of SARMs. Microarray analysis and epithelial:mesenchymal stem cell (MSC co-culture signaling studies were performed to understand the mechanisms of action.Dihydrotestosterone and SARMs, but not bicalutamide, inhibited the proliferation of MDA-MB-231-AR. The SARMs reduced the MDA-MB-231-AR tumor growth and tumor weight by greater than 90%, compared to vehicle-treated tumors. SARM treatment inhibited the intratumoral expression of genes and pathways that promote breast cancer development through its actions on the AR. SARM treatment also inhibited the metastasis-promoting paracrine factors, IL6 and MMP13, and subsequent migration and invasion of epithelial:MSC co-cultures.1. AR stimulation inhibits paracrine factors that are important for MSC interactions and breast cancer invasion and metastasis. 2. SARMs may provide promise as novel targeted therapies to treat AR-positive triple-negative breast cancer.

Maternal separation diminishes α-adrenergic receptor density and function in renal vasculature from male Wistar-Kyoto rats.

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Loria, Analia S; Osborn, Jeffrey L

2017-07-01

Adult rats exposed to maternal separation (MatSep) are normotensive but display lower glomerular filtration rate and increased renal neuroadrenergic drive. The aim of this study was to determine the renal α-adrenergic receptor density and the renal vascular responsiveness to adrenergic stimulation in male rats exposed to MatSep. In addition, baroreflex sensitivity was assessed to determine a component of neural control of the vasculature. Using tissue collected from 4-mo-old MatSep and control rats, α 1 -adrenergic receptors (α 1 -ARs) were measured in renal cortex and isolated renal vasculature using receptor binding assay, and the α-AR subtype gene expression was determined by RT-PCR. Renal cortical α 1 -AR density was similar between MatSep and control tissues (B max = 44 ± 1 vs. 42 ± 2 fmol/mg protein, respectively); however, MatSep reduced α 1 -AR density in renal vasculature (B max = 47 ± 4 vs. 62 ± 4 fmol/mg protein, P adrenergic receptor expression and function in the renal vasculature could develop secondary to MatSep-induced overactivation of the renal neuroadrenergic tone. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Androgen Receptor Expression in Thai Breast Cancer Patients

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Suthat Chottanapund

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate prevalence and related factors of androgen receptor (AR expression in Thai breast cancer patients. A descriptive study was done in 95 patients, who were admitted to Charoenkrung Pracharak Hospital, Bangkok (2011–2013. Statistical relationships were examined between AR protein expression, tumor status, and patient characteristics. Compared with those from Western countries, ethnic Thai patients were younger at age of diagnosis and had a higher proliferative index (high Ki-67 expression, which indicates unfavorable prognosis. In addition, 91% of the Thai breast tumors that were positive for any of the following receptors, estrogen receptor (ER, progesterone receptor (PR, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2 also expressed the AR protein, while in triple negative breast tumors only 33% were AR positive. ER and PR expression was positively related with AR expression, while AR expression was inversely correlated to Ki-67 expression. AR status was strongly correlated with ER and PR status in Thai patients. There is an inverse relationship between Ki-67 and AR, which suggests that AR may be a prognostic factor for breast cancer.

Camptothecin disrupts androgen receptor signaling and suppresses prostate cancer cell growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Shicheng; Yuan, Yiming; Okumura, Yutaka; Shinkai, Norihiro; Yamauchi, Hitoshi

2010-01-01

The androgen receptor (AR) is the main therapeutic target for treatment of metastatic prostate cancers. The present study demonstrates that the topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin selectively inhibits androgen-responsive growth of prostate cancer cells. Camptothecin strikingly inhibited mutated and wild-type AR protein expression in LNCaP and PC-3/AR cells. This inhibition coincided with decreased androgen-mediated AR phosphorylation at Ser 81 and reduced androgen-mediated AR transcriptional activity in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, camptothecin disrupted the association between AR and heat shock protein 90 and impeded binding of the synthetic androgen [ 3 H]R1881 to AR in LNCaP cells. Camptothecin also blocked androgen-induced AR nuclear translocation, leading to downregulation of the AR target gene PSA. In addition to decreasing the intracellular and secreted prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, camptothecin markedly inhibited androgen-stimulated PSA promoter activity. Collectively, our data reveal that camptothecin not only serves as a traditional genotoxic agent but, by virtue of its ability to target and disrupt AR, may also be a novel candidate for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Testosterone treatment increases androgen receptor and aromatase gene expression in myotubes from patients with PCOS and controls, but does not induce insulin resistance.

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Eriksen, Mette Brandt; Glintborg, Dorte; Nielsen, Michael Friberg Bruun; Jakobsen, Marianne Antonius; Brusgaard, Klaus; Tan, Qihua; Gaster, Michael

2014-09-05

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with insulin resistance and increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Skeletal muscle is the major site of insulin mediated glucose disposal and the skeletal muscle tissue is capable to synthesize, convert and degrade androgens. Insulin sensitivity is conserved in cultured myotubes (in vitro) from patients with PCOS, but the effect of testosterone on this insulin sensitivity is unknown. We investigated the effect of 7days testosterone treatment (100nmol/l) on glucose transport and gene expression levels of hormone receptors and enzymes involved in the synthesis and conversion of testosterone (HSD17B1, HSD17B2, CYP19A1, SRD5A1-2, AR, ER-α, HSD17B6 and AKR1-3) in myotubes from ten patients with PCOS and ten matched controls. Testosterone treatment significantly increased aromatase and androgen receptor gene expression levels in patients and controls. Glucose transport in myotubes was comparable in patients with PCOS vs. controls and was unchanged by testosterone treatment (p=0.21 PCOS vs. controls). These results suggest that testosterone treatment of myotubes increases the aromatase and androgen receptor gene expression without affecting insulin sensitivity and if testosterone is implicated in muscular insulin resistance in PCOS, this is by and indirect mechanism. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Differential contribution of complement receptor C5aR in myeloid and non-myeloid cells in chronic ethanol-induced liver injury in mice.

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McCullough, Rebecca L; McMullen, Megan R; Das, Dola; Roychowdhury, Sanjoy; Strainic, Michael G; Medof, M Edward; Nagy, Laura E

2016-07-01

Complement is implicated in the development of alcoholic liver disease. C3 and C5 contribute to ethanol-induced liver injury; however, the role of C5a receptor (C5aR) on myeloid and non-myeloid cells to progression of injury is not known. C57BL/6 (WT), global C5aR-/-, myeloid-specific C5aR-/-, and non-myeloid-specific C5aR-/- mice were fed a Lieber-DeCarli diet (32%kcal EtOH) for 25 days. Cultured hepatocytes were challenged with ethanol, TNFα, and C5a. Chronic ethanol feeding increased expression of pro-inflammatory mediators in livers of WT mice; this response was completely blunted in C5aR-/- mice. However, C5aR-/- mice were not protected from other measures of hepatocellular damage, including ethanol-induced increases in hepatic triglycerides, plasma alanine aminotransferase and hepatocyte apoptosis. CYP2E1 and 4-hydroxynonenal protein adducts were induced in WT and C5aR-/- mice. Myeloid-specific C5aR-/- mice were protected from ethanol-induced increases in hepatic TNFα, whereas non-myeloid-specific C5aR-/- displayed increased hepatocyte apoptosis and inflammation after chronic ethanol feeding. In cultured hepatocytes, cytotoxicity induced by challenge with ethanol and TNFα was completely eliminated by treatment with C5a in cells from WT, but not C5aR-/- mice. Further, treatment with C5a enhanced activation of pro-survival signal AKT in hepatocytes challenged with ethanol and TNFα. Taken together, these data reveal a differential role for C5aR during ethanol-induced liver inflammation and injury, with C5aR on myeloid cells contributing to ethanol-induced inflammatory cytokine expression, while non-myeloid C5aR protects hepatocytes from death after chronic ethanol feeding. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AR mutations in 28 patients with androgen insensitivity syndrome (Prader grade 0-3).

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Wang, Yi; Gong, Chunxiu; Wang, Xiou; Qin, Miao

2017-07-01

We investigated the androgen receptor (AR) gene mutation profiles of Chinese patients exhibiting severe androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) phenotypes. The present study enrolled 28 patients with genetically diagnosed AIS, who presented with severe phenotypes (Prader grade 0-3). Patients and some family members were screened via amplification and sequencing of their AR exons 1-8, including the corresponding intronic flanking regions. Luteinizing (LH), follicle-stimulating (FSH), and testosterone (T) hormone levels were found to be slightly, but not significantly, higher in patients with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS) than in patients with partial androgen insensitivity syndrome (PAIS) (P>0.05). We identified 24 different AR mutations, including 12 that were novel. Ten patients (cases 2, 3, 10, 28, 11, 12, 19, 20, 24, and 25) were found to carry five recurrent mutations (p.Y572S, p.P914S, p.S176R, p.Y782N, and p.R841H); of these, p.Y572S, p.S176R, and p.Y782N were novel. Among the mutations identified in patients with CAIS, six (66.7%) were characterized as single-nucleotide missense mutations, and six (66.7%) were found to be located in the AR ligand-binding domain (LBD). Among the mutations identified in patients with PAIS, 15 (93.8%) were found to be missense, and 11 (68.8%) were found to be located in the LBD. Patients 10 and 28 were determined to harbor the same missense mutation (p.P914S), but were diagnosed with CAIS and PAIS, respectively. Sex hormone levels were slightly, but not significantly, elevated in patients with CAIS compared to those with PAIS. Missense mutations spanning AR exons 1-8 were the predominant form of identified mutations, and these were mostly located in the AR LBD. Approximately 50% of the identified mutations were novel, and have enriched the AR gene-mutation database. Patients harboring identical mutations were in some instances found to exhibit divergent phenotypes.

Retinoid X receptor and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor activate an estrogen responsive gene independent of the estrogen receptor.

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Nuñez, S B; Medin, J A; Braissant, O; Kemp, L; Wahli, W; Ozato, K; Segars, J H

1997-03-14

Estrogen receptors regulate transcription of genes essential for sexual development and reproductive function. Since the retinoid X receptor (RXR) is able to modulate estrogen responsive genes and both 9-cis RA and fatty acids influenced development of estrogen responsive tumors, we hypothesized that estrogen responsive genes might be modulated by RXR and the fatty acid receptor (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, PPAR). To test this hypothesis, transfection assays in CV-1 cells were performed with an estrogen response element (ERE) coupled to a luciferase reporter construct. Addition of expression vectors for RXR and PPAR resulted in an 11-fold increase in luciferase activity in the presence of 9-cis RA. Furthermore, mobility shift assays demonstrated binding of RXR and PPAR to the vitellogenin A2-ERE and an ERE in the oxytocin promoter. Methylation interference assays demonstrated that specific guanine residues required for RXR/PPAR binding to the ERE were similar to residues required for ER binding. Moreover, RXR domain-deleted constructs in transfection assays showed that activation required RXR since an RXR delta AF-2 mutant completely abrogated reporter activity. Oligoprecipitation binding studies with biotinylated ERE and (35)S-labeled in vitro translated RXR constructs confirmed binding of delta AF-2 RXR mutant to the ERE in the presence of baculovirus-expressed PPAR. Finally, in situ hybridization confirmed RXR and PPAR mRNA expression in estrogen responsive tissues. Collectively, these data suggest that RXR and PPAR are present in reproductive tissues, are capable of activating estrogen responsive genes and suggest that the mechanism of activation may involve direct binding of the receptors to estrogen response elements.

PTEN genomic deletion predicts prostate cancer recurrence and is associated with low AR expression and transcriptional activity

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Choucair Khalil

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Prostate cancer (PCa, a leading cause of cancer death in North American men, displays a broad range of clinical outcome from relatively indolent to lethal metastatic disease. Several genomic alterations have been identified in PCa which may serve as predictors of progression. PTEN, (10q23.3, is a negative regulator of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PIK3/AKT survival pathway and a tumor suppressor frequently deleted in PCa. The androgen receptor (AR signalling pathway is known to play an important role in PCa and its blockade constitutes a commonly used treatment modality. In this study, we assessed the deletion status of PTEN along with AR expression levels in 43 primary PCa specimens with clinical follow-up. Methods Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH was done on formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE PCa samples to examine the deletion status of PTEN. AR expression levels were determined using immunohistochemistry (IHC. Results Using FISH, we found 18 cases of PTEN deletion. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed an association with disease recurrence (P=0.03. Concurrently, IHC staining for AR found significantly lower levels of AR expression within those tumors deleted for PTEN (PPTEN deleted. We confirmed the predictive value of PTEN deletion in disease recurrence (P=0.03. PTEN deletion was also linked to diminished expression of PTEN (PP=0.02. Furthermore, gene set enrichment analysis revealed a diminished expression of genes downstream of AR signalling in PTEN deleted tumors. Conclusions Altogether, our data suggest that PTEN deleted tumors expressing low levels of AR may represent a worse prognostic subset of PCa establishing a challenge for therapeutic management.

Allelic association of the D2 dopamine receptor gene with receptor-binding characteristics in alcoholism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noble, E.P.; Blum, K.; Ritchie, T.; Montgomery, A.; Sheridan, P.J.

1991-01-01

The allelic association of the human D2 dopamine receptor gene with the binding characteristics of the D2 dopamine receptor was determined in 66 brains of alcoholic and non-alcoholic subjects. In a blinded experiment, DNA from the cerebral cortex was treated with the restriction endonuclease Taql and probed with a 1.5-kilobase (kb) digest of a clone (lambda hD2G1) of the human D2 dopamine receptor gene. The binding characteristics (Kd [binding affinity] and Bmax [number of binding sites]) of the D2 dopamine receptor were determined in the caudate nuclei of these brains using tritiated spiperone as the ligand. The adjusted Kd was significantly lower in alcoholic than in nonalcoholic subjects. In subjects with the A1 allele, in whom a high association with alcoholism was found, the Bmax was significantly reduced compared with the Bmax of subjects with the A2 allele. Moreover, a progressively reduced Bmax was found in subjects with A2/A2, A1/A2, and A1/A1 alleles, with subjects with A2/A2 having the highest mean values, and subjects with A1/A1, the lowest. The polymorphic pattern of the D2 dopamine receptor gene and its differential expression of receptors suggests the involvement of the dopaminergic system in conferring susceptibility to at least one subtype of severe alcoholism

PCA3 Silencing Sensitizes Prostate Cancer Cells to Enzalutamide-mediated Androgen Receptor Blockade.

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Özgür, Emre; Celik, Ayca Iribas; Darendeliler, Emin; Gezer, Ugur

2017-07-01

Prostate cancer (PCa) is an androgen-dependent disease. Novel anti-androgens (i.e. enzalutamide) have recently been developed for the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Evidence is accumulating that prostate cancer antigen 3 (PCA3) is involved in androgen receptor (AR) signaling. Here, in combination with enzalutamide-mediated AR blockade, we investigated the effect of PCA3 targeting on the viability of PCa cells. In hormone-sensitive LNCaP cells, AR-overexpressing LNCaP-AR + cells and VCaP cells (representing CRPC), PCA3 was silenced using siRNA oligonucleotides. Gene expression and cell viability was assessed in PCA3-silenced and/or AR-blocked cells. PCA3 targeting reduced the expression of AR-related genes (i.e. prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and prostate-specific transcript 1 (non-protein coding) (PCGEM1)) and potentiated the effect of enzalutamide. Proliferation of PCa cells was suppressed upon PCA3 silencing with a greater effect in LNCaP-AR + cells. Furthermore, PCA3 silencing sensitized PCa cells to enzalutamide-induced loss of cell growth. PCA3, as a therapeutic target in PCa, might be used to potentiate AR antagonists. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Dopamine receptor gene expression by enkephalin neurons in rat forebrain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Moine, C.; Normand, E.; Guitteny, A.F.; Fouque, B.; Teoule, R.; Bloch, B.

1990-01-01

In situ hybridization experiments were performed with brain sections from normal, control and haloperidol-treated rats to identify and map the cells expressing the D2 dopamine receptor gene. D2 receptor mRNA was detected with radioactive or biotinylated oligonucleotide probes. D2 receptor mRNA was present in glandular cells of the pituitary intermediate lobe and in neurons of the substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, and forebrain, especially in caudate putamen, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercle, and piriform cortex. Hybridization with D2 and preproenkephalin A probes in adjacent sections, as well as combined hybridization with the two probes in the same sections, demonstrated that all detectable enkephalin neurons in the striatum contained the D2 receptor mRNA. Large neurons in caudate putamen, which were unlabeled with the preproenkephalin A probe and which may have been cholinergic, also expressed the D2 receptor gene. Haloperidol treatment (14 or 21 days) provoked an increase in mRNA content for D2 receptor and preproenkephalin A in the striatum. This suggests that the increase in D2 receptor number observed after haloperidol treatment is due to increased activity of the D2 gene. These results indicate that in the striatum, the enkephalin neurons are direct targets for dopamine liberated from mesostriatal neurons

Dopamine receptor gene expression by enkephalin neurons in rat forebrain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Le Moine, C.; Normand, E.; Guitteny, A.F.; Fouque, B.; Teoule, R.; Bloch, B. (Universite de Bordeaux II (France))

1990-01-01

In situ hybridization experiments were performed with brain sections from normal, control and haloperidol-treated rats to identify and map the cells expressing the D2 dopamine receptor gene. D2 receptor mRNA was detected with radioactive or biotinylated oligonucleotide probes. D2 receptor mRNA was present in glandular cells of the pituitary intermediate lobe and in neurons of the substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, and forebrain, especially in caudate putamen, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercle, and piriform cortex. Hybridization with D2 and preproenkephalin A probes in adjacent sections, as well as combined hybridization with the two probes in the same sections, demonstrated that all detectable enkephalin neurons in the striatum contained the D2 receptor mRNA. Large neurons in caudate putamen, which were unlabeled with the preproenkephalin A probe and which may have been cholinergic, also expressed the D2 receptor gene. Haloperidol treatment (14 or 21 days) provoked an increase in mRNA content for D2 receptor and preproenkephalin A in the striatum. This suggests that the increase in D2 receptor number observed after haloperidol treatment is due to increased activity of the D2 gene. These results indicate that in the striatum, the enkephalin neurons are direct targets for dopamine liberated from mesostriatal neurons.

Molecular characteristics of an immobilization antigen gene of the fish-parasitic protozoan Ichthyophthirius multifiliis strain ARS-6

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Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, a ciliated protozoan parasite of fish, expresses surface antigens (i-antigens), which react with host antibodies that render them immobile. The nucleotide sequence of an i-antigen gene of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis strain ARS-6 was deduced. The predicted protein of 47...

H1 antihistamines in allergic rhinitis: The molecular pathways of interleukin and toll - like receptor systems

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Jonny Karunia Fajar

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The complex interaction between inflammatory mediators in allergic rhinitis (AR is determined by the role of genetic polymorphisms, including interleukin (IL and toll-like receptor (TLR genes. This study aimed to discuss the effects of H1-antihistamines on IL and TLR systems. Several ILs involved in AR pathogenesis are: IL-4 (rs2243250, rs1800925, rs1801275, rs2227284, rs2070874, IL-6 (rs1800795, rs1800797, IL-10 (rs1800871, rs1800872, IL-12R (rs438421, IL-13 (rs1800925, rs20541, IL-17 (rs3819024, IL-18 (rs360721, rs360718, rs360717, rs187238, IL-23R (rs7517847, and IL-27 (rs153109, rs17855750. In the IL system, histamines stimulate the IL production in Type 2 helper T (Th2 cells through protein kinase A (PKA, janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT pathway, and the activation of H1-histamine receptor and histidine decarboxylase (HDC genes. On contrary, antihistamines down-regulate the H1-histamine receptor gene expression through the transcription suppression of HDC and IL genes and suppress histamine basal signaling through the inverse agonistic activity. TLRs involved in AR pathogenesis are TLR2 (rs4696480, rs3804099, rs5743708, TLR4 (rs4986790, TLR6 (rs2381289, TLR7 (rs179008, rs5935438, TRL8 (rs2407992, rs5741883, rs17256081, rs4830805, rs3788935, rs178998, and TLR10 (rs11466651. In the TLR system, histamines trigger the TLR expression by stimulating interferon-γ (IFN-γ to up-regulate mast cells and by stimulating receptor-interacting protein (RIP to activate IκB kinase-β. Contrastingly, antihistamines suppress TIR-domain-containing adaptor protein inducing IFN-β (TRIF and RIP protein and thus inhibit the expression of TLR. In addition, several studies indicated that H1-antihistamines inhibit the IL and TLR systems indirectly.

PSA and androgen-related gene (AR, CYP17, and CYP19) polymorphisms and the risk of adenocarcinoma at prostate biopsy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

dos Santos, Rodrigo Mattos; de Jesus, Carlos Márcio Nóbrega; Trindade Filho, José Carlos Souza

2008-01-01

The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of polymorphisms in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and androgen-related genes (AR, CYP17, and CYP19) on prostate cancer (PCa) risk in selected high-risk patients who underwent prostate biopsy. Blood samples and prostate tissues were obtained......=0.0110) genotypes. Genetic instability at the AR locus leading to somatic mosaicism was detected in one PCa patient by comparing the length of AR CAG repeats in matched peripheral blood and prostate biopsy cores. Taken together, these findings suggest that the PSA genotype should be a clinically relevant biomarker...

Functional characterization of bursicon receptor and genome-wide analysis for identification of genes affected by bursicon receptor RNAi

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Bai, Hua; Palli, Subba R.

2010-01-01

Bursicon is an insect neuropeptide hormone that is secreted from the central nervous system into the hemolymph and initiates cuticle tanning. The receptor for bursicon is encoded by the rickets (rk) gene and belongs to the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily. The bursicon and its receptor regulate cuticle tanning as well as wing expansion after adult eclosion. However, the molecular action of bursicon signaling remains unclear. We utilized RNA interference (RNAi) and microarray to study the function of the bursicon receptor (Tcrk) in the model insect, Tribolium castaneum. The data included here showed that in addition to cuticle tanning and wing expansion reported previously, Tcrk is also required for development and expansion of integumentary structures and adult eclosion. Using custom microarrays, we identified 24 genes that are differentially expressed between Tcrk RNAi and control insects. Knockdown in the expression of one of these genes, TC004091, resulted in the arrest of adult eclosion. Identification of genes that are involved in bursicon receptor mediated biological processes will provide tools for future studies on mechanisms of bursicon action. PMID:20457145

Vitamin D receptor and estrogen receptor gene polymorphisms in postmenopausal Danish women

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bagger, Y Z; Hassager, C; Heegaard, Anne-Marie

2000-01-01

To investigate the polymorphisms of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and estrogen receptor (ER) genes in relation to biochemical markers of bone turnover (serum osteocalcin and urinary collagen type I degradation products (CrossLaps), and to study ER genotypes in relation to serum lipoproteins, blood...... pressure, or changes in these parameters after 2 years of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in 499 Danish postmenopausal women....

Enhanced Striatal β1-Adrenergic Receptor Expression Following Hormone Loss in Adulthood Is Programmed by Both Early Sexual Differentiation and Puberty: A Study of Humans and Rats

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Perry, Adam N.; Westenbroek, Christel; Hedges, Valerie L.; Becker, Jill B.; Mermelstein, Paul G.

2013-01-01

After reproductive senescence or gonadectomy, changes occur in neural gene expression, ultimately altering brain function. The endocrine mechanisms underlying these changes in gene expression beyond immediate hormone loss are poorly understood. To investigate this, we measured changes in gene expression the dorsal striatum, where 17β-estradiol modulates catecholamine signaling. In human caudate, quantitative PCR determined a significant elevation in β1-adrenergic receptor (β1AR) expression in menopausal females when compared with similarly aged males. No differences were detected in β2-adrenergic and D1- and D2-dopamine receptor expression. Consistent with humans, adult ovariectomized female rats exhibited a similar increase in β1AR expression when compared with gonadectomized males. No sex difference in β1AR expression was detected between intact adults, prepubertal juveniles, or adults gonadectomized before puberty, indicating the necessity of pubertal development and adult ovariectomy. Additionally, increased β1AR expression in adult ovariectomized females was not observed if animals were masculinized/defeminized with testosterone injections as neonates. To generate a model system for assessing functional impact, increased β1AR expression was induced in female-derived cultured striatal neurons via exposure to and then removal of hormone-containing serum. Increased β1AR action on cAMP formation, cAMP response element-binding protein phosphorylation and gene expression was observed. This up-regulation of β1AR action was eliminated with 17β-estradiol addition to the media, directly implicating this hormone as a regulator of β1AR expression. Beyond having implications for the known sex differences in striatal function and pathologies, these data collectively demonstrate that critical periods early in life and at puberty program adult gene responsiveness to hormone loss after gonadectomy and potentially reproductive senescence. PMID:23533220

Ar-Ar_Redux: rigorous error propagation of 40Ar/39Ar data, including covariances

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Vermeesch, P.

2015-12-01

Rigorous data reduction and error propagation algorithms are needed to realise Earthtime's objective to improve the interlaboratory accuracy of 40Ar/39Ar dating to better than 1% and thereby facilitate the comparison and combination of the K-Ar and U-Pb chronometers. Ar-Ar_Redux is a new data reduction protocol and software program for 40Ar/39Ar geochronology which takes into account two previously underappreciated aspects of the method: 1. 40Ar/39Ar measurements are compositional dataIn its simplest form, the 40Ar/39Ar age equation can be written as: t = log(1+J [40Ar/39Ar-298.5636Ar/39Ar])/λ = log(1 + JR)/λ Where λ is the 40K decay constant and J is the irradiation parameter. The age t does not depend on the absolute abundances of the three argon isotopes but only on their relative ratios. Thus, the 36Ar, 39Ar and 40Ar abundances can be normalised to unity and plotted on a ternary diagram or 'simplex'. Argon isotopic data are therefore subject to the peculiar mathematics of 'compositional data', sensu Aitchison (1986, The Statistical Analysis of Compositional Data, Chapman & Hall). 2. Correlated errors are pervasive throughout the 40Ar/39Ar methodCurrent data reduction protocols for 40Ar/39Ar geochronology propagate the age uncertainty as follows: σ2(t) = [J2 σ2(R) + R2 σ2(J)] / [λ2 (1 + R J)], which implies zero covariance between R and J. In reality, however, significant error correlations are found in every step of the 40Ar/39Ar data acquisition and processing, in both single and multi collector instruments, during blank, interference and decay corrections, age calculation etc. Ar-Ar_Redux revisits every aspect of the 40Ar/39Ar method by casting the raw mass spectrometer data into a contingency table of logratios, which automatically keeps track of all covariances in a compositional context. Application of the method to real data reveals strong correlations (r2 of up to 0.9) between age measurements within a single irradiation batch. Propertly taking

Targeting the androgen receptor in triple-negative breast cancer: current perspectives

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Mina A

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Alain Mina,1 Rachel Yoder,2 Priyanka Sharma1 1Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Westwood, 2University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS, USA Abstract: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC is an aggressive subtype associated with frequent recurrence and metastasis. Unlike hormone receptor-positive subtypes, treatment of TNBC is currently limited by the lack of clinically available targeted therapies. Androgen signaling is necessary for normal breast development, and its dysregulation has been implicated in breast tumorigenesis. In recent years, gene expression studies have identified a subset of TNBC that is enriched for androgen receptor (AR signaling. Interference with androgen signaling in TNBC is promising, and AR-inhibiting drugs have shown antitumorigenic activity in preclinical and proof of concept clinical studies. Recent advances in our understanding of androgenic signaling in TNBC, along with the identification of interacting pathways, are allowing development of the next generation of clinical trials with AR inhibitors. As novel AR-targeting agents are developed and evaluated in clinical trials, it is equally important to establish a robust set of biomarkers for identification of TNBC tumors that are most likely to respond to AR inhibition. Keywords: triple-negative breast cancer, androgen signaling, targeted therapy, biomarkers, prognosis 

Histone demethylase JMJD1A promotes alternative splicing of AR variant 7 (AR-V7) in prostate cancer cells.

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Fan, Lingling; Zhang, Fengbo; Xu, Songhui; Cui, Xiaolu; Hussain, Arif; Fazli, Ladan; Gleave, Martin; Dong, Xuesen; Qi, Jianfei

2018-05-15

Formation of the androgen receptor splicing variant 7 (AR-V7) is one of the major mechanisms by which resistance of prostate cancer to androgen deprivation therapy occurs. The histone demethylase JMJD1A (Jumonji domain containing 1A) functions as a key coactivator for AR by epigenetic regulation of H3K9 methylation marks. Here, we describe a role for JMJD1A in AR-V7 expression. While JMJD1A knockdown had no effect on full-length AR (AR-FL), it reduced AR-V7 levels in prostate cancer cells. Reexpression of AR-V7 in the JMJD1A-knockdown cells elevated expression of select AR targets and partially rescued prostate cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. The AR-V7 protein level correlated positively with JMJD1A in a subset of human prostate cancer specimens. Mechanistically, we found that JMJD1A promoted alternative splicing of AR-V7 through heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein F (HNRNPF), a splicing factor known to regulate exon inclusion. Knockdown of JMJD1A or HNRNPF inhibited splicing of AR-V7, but not AR-FL, in a minigene reporter assay. JMJD1A was found to interact with and promote the recruitment of HNRNPF to a cryptic exon 3b on AR pre-mRNA for the generation of AR-V7. Taken together, the role of JMJD1A in AR-FL coactivation and AR-V7 alternative splicing highlights JMJD1A as a potentially promising target for prostate cancer therapy.

Attenuation of alpha2A-adrenergic receptor expression in neonatal rat brain by RNA interference or antisense oligonucleotide reduced anxiety in adulthood.

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Shishkina, G T; Kalinina, T S; Dygalo, N N

2004-01-01

Brain alpha2-adrenergic receptors (alpha2-ARs) have been implicated in the regulation of anxiety, which is associated with stress. Environmental treatments during neonatal development could modulate the level of brain alpha2-AR expression and alter anxiety in adults, suggesting possible involvement of these receptors in early-life programming of anxiety state. The present study was undertaken to determine whether the reduction of the expression of A subtype of these receptors most abundant in the neonatal brain affects anxiety-related behavior in adulthood. We attenuated the expression of alpha2A-ARs during neonatal life by two different sequence specific approaches, antisense technology and RNA interference. Treatment of rats with the antisense oligodeoxynucleotide or short interfering RNA (siRNA) against alpha2A-ARs on the days 2-4 of their life, produced a marked acute decrease in the levels of both alpha2A-AR mRNA and [3H]RX821002 binding sites in the brainstem into which drugs were injected. The decrease of alpha2A-AR expression in the neonatal brainstem influenced the development of this receptor system in the brain regions as evidenced by the increased number of [3H]RX821002 binding sites in the hypothalamus of adult animals with both neonatal alpha2A-AR knockdown treatments; also in the frontal cortex of antisense-treated, and in the hippocampus of siRNA-treated adult rats. These adult animals also demonstrated a decreased anxiety in the elevated plus-maze as evidenced by an increased number of the open arm entries, greater proportion of time spent in the open arms, and more than a two-fold increase in the number of exploratory head dips. The results provide the first evidence that the reduction in the brain expression of a gene encoding for alpha2A-AR during neonatal life led to the long-term neurochemical and behavioral alterations. The data suggests that alterations in the expression of the receptor-specific gene during critical periods of brain

High-throughput Microarray Detection of Vomeronasal Receptor Gene Expression in Rodents

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Xiaohong Zhang

2010-11-01

Full Text Available We performed comprehensive data mining to explore the vomeronasal receptor (V1R & V2R repertoires in mouse and rat using the mm5 and rn3 genome, respectively. This bioinformatic analysis was followed by investigation of gene expression using a custom designed high-density oligonucleotide array containing all of these receptors and other selected genes of interest. This array enabled us to detect the specific expression of V1R and V2Rs which were previously identified solely based on computational prediction from gene sequence data, thereby establishing that these genes are indeed part of the vomeronasal system, especially the V2Rs. 168 V1Rs and 98 V2Rs were detected to be highly enriched in mouse vomeronasal organ (VNO, and 108 V1Rs and 87 V2Rs in rat VNO. We monitored the expression profile of mouse VR genes in other non-VNO tissues with the result that some VR genes were re-designated as VR-like genes based on their non-olfactory expression pattern. Temporal expression profiles for mouse VR genes were characterized and their patterns were classified, revealing the developmental dynamics of these so-called pheromone receptors. We found numerous patterns of temporal expression which indicate possible behavior-related functions. The uneven composition of VR genes in certain patterns suggests a functional differentiation between the two types of VR genes. We found the coherence between VR genes and transcription factors in terms of their temporal expression patterns. In situ hybridization experiments were performed to evaluate the cell number change over time for selected receptor genes.

Therapeutic targeting of angiotensin II receptor type 1 to regulate androgen receptor in prostate cancer.

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Takahashi, Satoru; Uemura, Hiroji; Seeni, Azman; Tang, Mingxi; Komiya, Masami; Long, Ne; Ishiguro, Hitoshi; Kubota, Yoshinobu; Shirai, Tomoyuki

2012-10-01

With the limited strategies for curative treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), public interest has focused on the potential prevention of prostate cancer. Recent studies have demonstrated that an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) has the potential to decrease serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level and improve performance status in CRPC patients. These facts prompted us to investigate the direct effects of ARBs on prostate cancer growth and progression. Transgenic rat for adenocarcinoma of prostate (TRAP) model established in our laboratory was used. TRAP rats of 3 weeks of age received ARB (telmisartan or candesartan) at the concentration of 2 or 10 mg/kg/day in drinking water for 12 weeks. In vitro analyses for cell growth, ubiquitylation or reporter gene assay were performed using LNCaP cells. We found that both telmisartan and candesartan attenuated prostate carcinogenesis in TRAP rats by augmentation of apoptosis resulting from activation of caspases, inactivation of p38 MAPK and down-regulation of the androgen receptor (AR). Further, microarray analysis demonstrated up-regulation of estrogen receptor β (ERβ) by ARB treatment. In both parental and androgen-independent LNCaP cells, ARB inhibited both cell growth and AR-mediated transcriptional activity. ARB also exerted a mild additional effect on AR-mediated transcriptional activation by the ERβ up-regulation. An intervention study revealed that PSA progression was prolonged in prostate cancer patients given an ARB compared with placebo control. These data provide a new concept that ARBs are promising potential chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents for prostate cancer. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Transcriptional role of androgen receptor in the expression of long non-coding RNA Sox2OT in neurogenesis.

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Valentina Tosetti

Full Text Available The complex architecture of adult brain derives from tightly regulated migration and differentiation of precursor cells generated during embryonic neurogenesis. Changes at transcriptional level of genes that regulate migration and differentiation may lead to neurodevelopmental disorders. Androgen receptor (AR is a transcription factor that is already expressed during early embryonic days. However, AR role in the regulation of gene expression at early embryonic stage is yet to be determinate. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA Sox2 overlapping transcript (Sox2OT plays a crucial role in gene expression control during development but its transcriptional regulation is still to be clearly defined. Here, using Bicalutamide in order to pharmacologically inactivated AR, we investigated whether AR participates in the regulation of the transcription of the lncRNASox2OTat early embryonic stage. We identified a new DNA binding region upstream of Sox2 locus containing three androgen response elements (ARE, and found that AR binds such a sequence in embryonic neural stem cells and in mouse embryonic brain. Our data suggest that through this binding, AR can promote the RNA polymerase II dependent transcription of Sox2OT. Our findings also suggest that AR participates in embryonic neurogenesis through transcriptional control of the long non-coding RNA Sox2OT.

Manipulation of Very Few Receptor Discriminator Residues Greatly Enhances Receptor Specificity of Non-visual Arrestins*

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Gimenez, Luis E.; Vishnivetskiy, Sergey A.; Baameur, Faiza; Gurevich, Vsevolod V.

2012-01-01

Based on the identification of residues that determine receptor selectivity of arrestins and the analysis of the evolution in the arrestin family, we introduced 10 mutations of “receptor discriminator” residues in arrestin-3. The recruitment of these mutants to M2 muscarinic (M2R), D1 (D1R) and D2 (D2R) dopamine, and β2-adrenergic receptors (β2AR) was assessed using bioluminescence resonance energy transfer-based assays in cells. Seven of 10 mutations differentially affected arrestin-3 binding to individual receptors. D260K and Q262P reduced the binding to β2AR, much more than to other receptors. The combination D260K/Q262P virtually eliminated β2AR binding while preserving the interactions with M2R, D1R, and D2R. Conversely, Y239T enhanced arrestin-3 binding to β2AR and reduced the binding to M2R, D1R, and D2R, whereas Q256Y selectively reduced recruitment to D2R. The Y239T/Q256Y combination virtually eliminated the binding to D2R and reduced the binding to β2AR and M2R, yielding a mutant with high selectivity for D1R. Eleven of 12 mutations significantly changed the binding to light-activated phosphorhodopsin. Thus, manipulation of key residues on the receptor-binding surface modifies receptor preference, enabling the construction of non-visual arrestins specific for particular receptor subtypes. These findings pave the way to the construction of signaling-biased arrestins targeting the receptor of choice for research or therapeutic purposes. PMID:22787152

Manipulation of very few receptor discriminator residues greatly enhances receptor specificity of non-visual arrestins.

Science.gov (United States)

Gimenez, Luis E; Vishnivetskiy, Sergey A; Baameur, Faiza; Gurevich, Vsevolod V

2012-08-24

Based on the identification of residues that determine receptor selectivity of arrestins and the analysis of the evolution in the arrestin family, we introduced 10 mutations of "receptor discriminator" residues in arrestin-3. The recruitment of these mutants to M2 muscarinic (M2R), D1 (D1R) and D2 (D2R) dopamine, and β(2)-adrenergic receptors (β(2)AR) was assessed using bioluminescence resonance energy transfer-based assays in cells. Seven of 10 mutations differentially affected arrestin-3 binding to individual receptors. D260K and Q262P reduced the binding to β(2)AR, much more than to other receptors. The combination D260K/Q262P virtually eliminated β(2)AR binding while preserving the interactions with M2R, D1R, and D2R. Conversely, Y239T enhanced arrestin-3 binding to β(2)AR and reduced the binding to M2R, D1R, and D2R, whereas Q256Y selectively reduced recruitment to D2R. The Y239T/Q256Y combination virtually eliminated the binding to D2R and reduced the binding to β(2)AR and M2R, yielding a mutant with high selectivity for D1R. Eleven of 12 mutations significantly changed the binding to light-activated phosphorhodopsin. Thus, manipulation of key residues on the receptor-binding surface modifies receptor preference, enabling the construction of non-visual arrestins specific for particular receptor subtypes. These findings pave the way to the construction of signaling-biased arrestins targeting the receptor of choice for research or therapeutic purposes.

N-glycosylation of the β2 adrenergic receptor regulates receptor function by modulating dimerization.

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Li, Xiaona; Zhou, Mang; Huang, Wei; Yang, Huaiyu

2017-07-01

N-glycosylation is a common post-translational modification of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). However, it remains unknown how N-glycosylation affects GPCR signaling. β 2 adrenergic receptor (β 2 AR) has three N-glycosylation sites: Asn6, Asn15 at the N-terminus, and Asn187 at the second extracellular loop (ECL2). Here, we show that deletion of the N-glycan did not affect receptor expression and ligand binding. Deletion of the N-glycan at the N-terminus rather than Asn187 showed decreased effects on isoproterenol-promoted G-protein-dependent signaling, β-arrestin2 recruitment, and receptor internalization. Both N6Q and N15Q showed decreased receptor dimerization, while N187Q did not influence receptor dimerization. As decreased β 2 AR homodimer accompanied with reduced efficiency for receptor function, we proposed that the N-glycosylation of β 2 AR regulated receptor function by influencing receptor dimerization. To verify this hypothesis, we further paid attention to the residues at the dimerization interface. Studies of Lys60 and Glu338, two residues at the receptor dimerization interface, exhibited that the K60A/E338A showed decreased β 2 AR dimerization and its effects on receptor signaling were similar to N6Q and N15Q, which further supported the importance of receptor dimerization for receptor function. This work provides new insights into the relationship among glycosylation, dimerization, and function of GPCRs. Peptide-N-glycosidase F (PNGase F, EC 3.2.2.11); endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase A (Endo-A, EC 3.2.1.96). © 2017 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Reduction in expression of the benign AR transcriptome is a hallmark of localised prostate cancer progression.

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Stuchbery, Ryan; Macintyre, Geoff; Cmero, Marek; Harewood, Laurence M; Peters, Justin S; Costello, Anthony J; Hovens, Christopher M; Corcoran, Niall M

2016-05-24

Despite the importance of androgen receptor (AR) signalling to prostate cancer development, little is known about how this signalling pathway changes with increasing grade and stage of the disease. To explore changes in the normal AR transcriptome in localised prostate cancer, and its relation to adverse pathological features and disease recurrence. Publically accessible human prostate cancer expression arrays as well as RNA sequencing data from the prostate TCGA. Tumour associated PSA and PSAD were calculated for a large cohort of men (n=1108) undergoing prostatectomy. We performed a meta-analysis of the expression of an androgen-regulated gene set across datasets using Oncomine. Differential expression of selected genes in the prostate TCGA database was probed using the edgeR Bioconductor package. Changes in tumour PSA density with stage and grade were assessed by Student's t-test, and its association with biochemical recurrence explored by Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression. Meta-analysis revealed a systematic decline in the expression of a previously identified benign prostate androgen-regulated gene set with increasing tumour grade, reaching significance in nine of 25 genes tested despite increasing AR expression. These results were confirmed in a large independent dataset from the TCGA. At the protein level, when serum PSA was corrected for tumour volume, significantly lower levels were observed with increasing tumour grade and stage, and predicted disease recurrence. Lower PSA secretion-per-tumour-volume is associated with increasing grade and stage of prostate cancer, has prognostic relevance, and reflects a systematic perturbation of androgen signalling.

BTG2 is an LXXLL-dependent co-repressor for androgen receptor transcriptional activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Xu-Dong; Meng, Qing-Hui; Xu, Jia-Ying; Jiao, Yang; Ge, Chun-Min; Jacob, Asha; Wang, Ping; Rosen, Eliot M; Fan, Saijun

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → BTG2 associates with AR, androgen causes an increase of the interaction. → BTG2 as a co-repressor inhibits the AR-mediated transcription activity. → BTG2 inhibits the transcription activity and expression of PSA. → An intact 92 LxxLL 96 motif is essential and necessary for these activities of BTG2, while the 20 LxxLL 24 motif is not required. → Ectopic expression of BTG2 reduces proliferation of prostate cancer cells. -- Abstract: The tumor suppressor gene, BTG2 has been down-regulated in prostate cancer and the ectopic expression of this gene has been shown to inhibit prostate cancer cell growth. Sequence analysis revealed that the BTG2 protein contains two leucine-rich motifs ( 20 LxxLL 24 and 92 LxxLL 96 ), which are usually found in nuclear receptor co-factors. Based on this, we postulated that there will be an association between BTG2 and AR. In this study, we discovered that BTG2 directly bound to the androgen receptor (AR) in the absence of 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and in the presence of the androgen, this interaction was increased. BTG2 bearing the mutant 20 LxxLL 24 motif bound to AR equally efficient as the wild-type BTG2, while BTG2 bearing the mutant 92 LxxLL 96 motif failed to interact with AR. Functional studies indicated that ectopic expression of BTG2 caused a significant inhibition of AR-mediated transcriptional activity and a decreased growth of prostate cancer cells. Androgen-induced promoter activation and expression of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) are significantly attenuated by BTG2. The intact 92 LxxLL 96 motif is required for these activities. These findings, for the first time, demonstrate that BTG2 complexes with AR via an LxxLL-dependent mechanism and may play a role in prostate cancer via modulating the AR signaling pathway.

BTG2 is an LXXLL-dependent co-repressor for androgen receptor transcriptional activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Xu-Dong [School of Radiation Medicine and Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Meng, Qing-Hui [Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057 (United States); Xu, Jia-Ying; Jiao, Yang [School of Radiation Medicine and Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Ge, Chun-Min [Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057 (United States); Jacob, Asha; Wang, Ping [North Shore University Hospital-Long Island Jewish Medical Center and The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY 11030 (United States); Rosen, Eliot M [Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057 (United States); Fan, Saijun, E-mail: sjfan@suda.edu.cn [School of Radiation Medicine and Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China)

2011-01-28

Research highlights: {yields} BTG2 associates with AR, androgen causes an increase of the interaction. {yields} BTG2 as a co-repressor inhibits the AR-mediated transcription activity. {yields} BTG2 inhibits the transcription activity and expression of PSA. {yields} An intact {sup 92}LxxLL{sup 96} motif is essential and necessary for these activities of BTG2, while the {sup 20}LxxLL{sup 24} motif is not required. {yields} Ectopic expression of BTG2 reduces proliferation of prostate cancer cells. -- Abstract: The tumor suppressor gene, BTG2 has been down-regulated in prostate cancer and the ectopic expression of this gene has been shown to inhibit prostate cancer cell growth. Sequence analysis revealed that the BTG2 protein contains two leucine-rich motifs ({sup 20}LxxLL{sup 24} and {sup 92}LxxLL{sup 96}), which are usually found in nuclear receptor co-factors. Based on this, we postulated that there will be an association between BTG2 and AR. In this study, we discovered that BTG2 directly bound to the androgen receptor (AR) in the absence of 5{alpha}-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and in the presence of the androgen, this interaction was increased. BTG2 bearing the mutant {sup 20}LxxLL{sup 24} motif bound to AR equally efficient as the wild-type BTG2, while BTG2 bearing the mutant {sup 92}LxxLL{sup 96} motif failed to interact with AR. Functional studies indicated that ectopic expression of BTG2 caused a significant inhibition of AR-mediated transcriptional activity and a decreased growth of prostate cancer cells. Androgen-induced promoter activation and expression of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) are significantly attenuated by BTG2. The intact {sup 92}LxxLL{sup 96} motif is required for these activities. These findings, for the first time, demonstrate that BTG2 complexes with AR via an LxxLL-dependent mechanism and may play a role in prostate cancer via modulating the AR signaling pathway.

Repressive effects of resveratrol on androgen receptor transcriptional activity.

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Wen-feng Shi

2009-10-01

Full Text Available The chemopreventive effects of resveratrol (RSV on prostate cancer have been well established; the androgen receptor (AR plays pivotal roles in prostatic tumorigenesis. However, the exact underlying molecular mechanisms about the effects of RSV on AR have not been fully elucidated. A model system is needed to determine whether and how RSV represses AR transcriptional activity.The AR cDNA was first cloned into the retroviral vector pOZ-N and then integrated into the genome of AR-negative HeLa cells to generate the AR(+ cells. The constitutively expressed AR was characterized by monitoring hormone-stimulated nuclear translocation, DNA binding, and transcriptional activation, with the AR(- cells serving as controls. AR(+ cells were treated with RSV, and both AR protein levels and AR transcriptional activity were measured simultaneously. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP assays were used to detect the effects of RSV on the recruitment of AR to its cognate element (ARE.AR in the AR (+ stable cell line functions in a manner similar to that of endogenously expressed AR. Using this model system we clearly demonstrated that RSV represses AR transcriptional activity independently of any effects on AR protein levels. However, neither the hormone-mediated nucleus translocation nor the AR/ARE interaction was affected by RSV treatment.We demonstrated unambiguously that RSV regulates AR target gene expression, at least in part, by repressing AR transcriptional activity. Repressive effects of RSV on AR activity result from mechanisms other than the affects of AR nuclear translocation or DNA binding.

The androgen receptor as an emerging target in hepatocellular carcinoma

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Kanda T

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Tatsuo Kanda, Osamu Yokosuka Department of Gastroenterology and Nephrology, Chiba University, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan Abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC is one of the male-dominant liver diseases with poor prognosis, although treatments for HCC have been progressing in the past decades. Androgen receptor (AR is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily. Previous studies reported that AR was expressed in human HCC and non-HCC tissues. AR is activated both ligand-dependently and ligand-independently. The latter is associated with a mitogen-activated protein kinase–, v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1–, or signal-transducer and activator of transcription–signaling pathway, which has been implicated in the development of HCC. It has been reported that more than 200 RNA expression levels are altered by androgen treatment. In the liver, androgen-responsive genes are cytochrome P450s, transforming growth factor , vascular endothelial growth factor, and glucose-regulated protein 78 kDa, which are also associated with human hepatocarcinogenesis. Recent studies also revealed that AR plays a role in cell migration and metastasis. It is possible that cross-talk among AR-signaling, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and innate immune response is important for human hepatocarcinogenesis and HCC development. This review shows that AR could play a potential role in human HCC and represent one of the important target molecules for the treatment of HCC. Keywords: vascular endothelial growth factor, angiogenesis, glucose-regulated protein 78 kDa, hepatocarcinogenesis, molecular targets 

Evolution of the C-Type Lectin-Like Receptor Genes of the DECTIN-1 Cluster in the NK Gene Complex

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Susanne Sattler

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Pattern recognition receptors are crucial in initiating and shaping innate and adaptive immune responses and often belong to families of structurally and evolutionarily related proteins. The human C-type lectin-like receptors encoded in the DECTIN-1 cluster within the NK gene complex contain prominent receptors with pattern recognition function, such as DECTIN-1 and LOX-1. All members of this cluster share significant homology and are considered to have arisen from subsequent gene duplications. Recent developments in sequencing and the availability of comprehensive sequence data comprising many species showed that the receptors of the DECTIN-1 cluster are not only homologous to each other but also highly conserved between species. Even in Caenorhabditis elegans, genes displaying homology to the mammalian C-type lectin-like receptors have been detected. In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive phylogenetic survey and give an up-to-date overview of the currently available data on the evolutionary emergence of the DECTIN-1 cluster genes.

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) gene expression construct: Development, nanodelivery and effect on reproduction in air-breathing catfish, Clarias batrachus.

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Rathor, Pravesh Kumar; Bhat, Irfan Ahmad; Rather, Mohd Ashraf; Gireesh-Babu, Pathakota; Kumar, Kundan; Purayil, Suresh Babu Padinhate; Sharma, Rupam

2017-11-01

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) is responsible for the relocation of cholesterol across mitochondrial membrane in vertebrates and is, therefore, a key factor in regulating the rate and timing of steroidogenesis. In the present study, we developed chitosan nanoparticle (CNP) conjugated StAR gene construct (CNP-pcDNA4-StAR) in a eukaryotic expression vector, pcDNA4/HisMax A. CNPs of 135.4nm diameter, 26.7mV zeta potential and 0.381 polydispersity index were used for conjugation. The loading efficiency (LE) of pcDNA4-StAR construct with CNPs was found to be 86%. After the 24h of intramuscular injection, the CNP-pcDNA4-StAR plasmid could be detected from testis, brain, kidney and muscle tissues of Clarias batrachus. The transcript levels of important reproductive genes viz. cyp11a1, cyp17a1, 3β-hsd, 17β-hsd and cyp19a1 in CNP-pcDNA4-StAR treated group were initially low up to 24h, but significantly increased subsequently up to 120h. In naked pcDNA4-StAR treated group, the mRNA level of 3β-hsd, 17β-hsd and cyp19a1 increased initially up to 24h, while cyp11a1 and cyp17a1 increased up to 48h and then started declining. Similar results were obtained for 11-Ketotestosterone and 17β-estradiol. The results indicate relatively long lasting effects of nano-conjugated construct compared to the construct alone. Furthermore, the histopathology of gonads and liver authenticates its possible role in the gonadal development in fish without any adverse effect. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigation of Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA A receptors genes and migraine susceptibility

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Ciccodicola Alfredo

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent attacks of severe headache, affecting around 12% of Caucasian populations. It is well known that migraine has a strong genetic component, although the number and type of genes involved is still unclear. Prior linkage studies have reported mapping of a migraine gene to chromosome Xq 24–28, a region containing a cluster of genes for GABA A receptors (GABRE, GABRA3, GABRQ, which are potential candidate genes for migraine. The GABA neurotransmitter has been implicated in migraine pathophysiology previously; however its exact role has not yet been established, although GABA receptors agonists have been the target of therapeutic developments. The aim of the present research is to investigate the role of the potential candidate genes reported on chromosome Xq 24–28 region in migraine susceptibility. In this study, we have focused on the subunit GABA A receptors type ε (GABRE and type θ (GABRQ genes and their involvement in migraine. Methods We have performed an association analysis in a large population of case-controls (275 unrelated Caucasian migraineurs versus 275 controls examining a set of 3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in the coding region (exons 3, 5 and 9 of the GABRE gene and also the I478F coding variant of the GABRQ gene. Results Our study did not show any association between the examined SNPs in our test population (P > 0.05. Conclusion Although these particular GABA receptor genes did not show positive association, further studies are necessary to consider the role of other GABA receptor genes in migraine susceptibility.

Cell-Free Expression, Purification, and Characterization of the Functional β2-Adrenergic Receptor for Multianalyte Detection of β-Agonists.

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Wang, Jian; Liu, Yuan; Zhang, Junhua; Han, Zhengzheng; Wang, Wei; Liu, Yang; Wei, Dong; Huang, Wei

2017-11-01

Large-scale expression of β 2 -adrenergic receptor (β 2 -AR) in functional form is necessary for establishment of receptor assays for detecting illegally abused β-adrenergic agonists (β-agonists). Cell-based heterologous expression systems have manycritical difficulties in synthesizing this membrane protein, such as low protein yields and aberrant folding. To overcome these challenges, the main objective of the present work was to synthesize large amounts of functional β 2 -AR in a cell-free system based on Escherichia coli extracts. A codon-optimized porcine β 2 -AR gene (codon adaptation index: 0.96) suitable for high expression in E. coli was synthesized and transcribed to the cell-free system, which contributed to increase the expression up to 1.1 mg/ml. After purification using Ni-affinity chromatography, the bioactivity of the purified receptor was measured by novel enzyme-linked receptor assays. It was determined that the relative affinities of the purified β 2 -AR for β-agonists in descending order were as follows: clenbuterol > salbutamol > ractopamine. Moreover, their IC 50 values were 45.99, 60.38, and 78.02 µg/liter, respectively. Although activity of the cell-free system was slightly lower than activity of systems based on insect and mammalian cells, this system should allow production of β 2 -AR in bulk amounts sufficient for the development of multianalyte screening methods for detecting β-agonist residues.

Evolution of the vertebrate insulin receptor substrate (Irs) gene family.

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Al-Salam, Ahmad; Irwin, David M

2017-06-23

Insulin receptor substrate (Irs) proteins are essential for insulin signaling as they allow downstream effectors to dock with, and be activated by, the insulin receptor. A family of four Irs proteins have been identified in mice, however the gene for one of these, IRS3, has been pseudogenized in humans. While it is known that the Irs gene family originated in vertebrates, it is not known when it originated and which members are most closely related to each other. A better understanding of the evolution of Irs genes and proteins should provide insight into the regulation of metabolism by insulin. Multiple genes for Irs proteins were identified in a wide variety of vertebrate species. Phylogenetic and genomic neighborhood analyses indicate that this gene family originated very early in vertebrae evolution. Most Irs genes were duplicated and retained in fish after the fish-specific genome duplication. Irs genes have been lost of various lineages, including Irs3 in primates and birds and Irs1 in most fish. Irs3 and Irs4 experienced an episode of more rapid protein sequence evolution on the ancestral mammalian lineage. Comparisons of the conservation of the proteins sequences among Irs paralogs show that domains involved in binding to the plasma membrane and insulin receptors are most strongly conserved, while divergence has occurred in sequences involved in interacting with downstream effector proteins. The Irs gene family originated very early in vertebrate evolution, likely through genome duplications, and in parallel with duplications of other components of the insulin signaling pathway, including insulin and the insulin receptor. While the N-terminal sequences of these proteins are conserved among the paralogs, changes in the C-terminal sequences likely allowed changes in biological function.

Impact of estrogen receptor α gene and oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms on female sexuality

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Anastasia K Armeni

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Over the past decades, research attention has increasingly been paid to the neurobiological component of sexual behavior. The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation of estrogen receptor α (ERA gene polymorphism (rs2234693-PvuII (T→C substitution and oxytocin receptor gene polymorphism (rs53576 (G→A substitution with sexuality parameters of young, healthy women. One hundred thirty-three Greek heterosexual women, students in higher education institutions, 20–25 years of age, sexually active, with normal menstrual cycles (28–35 days, were recruited in the study. Exclusion criteria were chronic and/or major psychiatric diseases, use of oral contraceptive pills (OCs, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS, thyroid diseases as well as drugs that are implicated in hypothalamus–pituitary–gonadal axis. T allele (wildtype of rs2234693 (PvuII polymorphism of ERA gene was correlated with increased levels of arousal and lubrication, whereas A allele (polymorphic of rs53576 (OXTR polymorphism was correlated with increased arousal levels. The simultaneous presence of both T allele of rs2234693 (PvuII and A allele of rs53576 (OXTR polymorphisms (T + A group was correlated with increased arousal, orgasm levels as well as female sexual function index full score. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the interaction between ERA and OXTR with regard to sexual function in women. Female sexuality is a complex behavioral trait that encompasses both biological and psychological components. It seems that variability in female sexual response stems from genetic variability that characterizes endocrine, neurotransmitter and central nervous system influences.

Transcript Levels of Androgen Receptor Variant 7 and Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzyme 2C in Hormone Sensitive Prostate Cancer and Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

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Lee, Chan Ho; Ku, Ja Yoon; Ha, Jung Min; Bae, Sun Sik; Lee, Jeong Zoo; Kim, Choung-Soo; Ha, Hong Koo

2017-01-01

This study is designed to identify the androgen receptor variant 7 (AR-V7) status, clinical significance of AR-V7 in hormone sensitive prostate cancer (HSPC). Then, we evaluated AR-V7 and changes of its target gene, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2C (UBE2C) which is an anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C)-specific ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in serial tumor biopsies from patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy. We used RT-PCR and Q-PCR assay to evaluate AR-V7, androgen receptor full length (AR-FL), and UBE2C in tumor biopsies from patients with HSPC and CRPC. We examined associations between mRNA expression of AR-V7 and clinicopathologic factors. Furthermore, to identify other potential genes involved in the development of CRPC, RNA sequencing was conducted, using paired prostate cancer (PCa) tissues obtained immediately prior to treatment and at the time of therapeutic resistance. A total of 13 HSPC patients and three CRPC patients were enrolled. Neither a high Gleason score (score of 8 and 9) nor a high risk of PCa (a high risk of locally advanced PCa according to NCCN guidelines) was correlated with mRNA expression of AR-V7 in HSPC (P = 0.153 and P = 0.215). The mRNA expression of AR-FL, but not AR-V7, was significantly associated with the mRNA expression of UBE2C level in HSPC (P = 0.007). However, increased expression of AR-V7, not AR-FL, paralleled increased expression of UBE2C in the CRPC specimens (P = 0.03). AR-V7 expression status before ADT was likely related to shorter CRPC development in patients treating ADT. The result of the RNA-sequencing analysis using serial samples from the same patient before and after castration demonstrated an increased level of the PI3K regulatory subunit 1 (P = 0.018). Our study revealed the role of UBE2C as a marker of the androgen signaling pathway in PCa. Differential gene expression analysis using serial samples from the same patient

Expression of glucocorticoid and progesterone nuclear receptor genes in archival breast cancer tissue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Robert A; Lea, Rod A; Curran, Joanne E; Weinstein, Stephen R; Griffiths, Lyn R

2003-01-01

Previous studies in our laboratory have shown associations of specific nuclear receptor gene variants with sporadic breast cancer. In order to investigate these findings further, we conducted the present study to determine whether expression levels of the progesterone and glucocorticoid nuclear receptor genes vary in different breast cancer grades. RNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded archival breast tumour tissue and converted into cDNA. Sample cDNA underwent PCR using labelled primers to enable quantitation of mRNA expression. Expression data were normalized against the 18S ribosomal gene multiplex and analyzed using analysis of variance. Analysis of variance indicated a variable level of expression of both genes with regard to breast cancer grade (P = 0.00033 for glucocorticoid receptor and P = 0.023 for progesterone receptor). Statistical analysis indicated that expression of the progesterone nuclear receptor is elevated in late grade breast cancer tissue

Genomic androgen receptor-occupied regions with different functions, defined by histone acetylation, coregulators and transcriptional capacity.

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Li Jia

Full Text Available The androgen receptor (AR is a steroid-activated transcription factor that binds at specific DNA locations and plays a key role in the etiology of prostate cancer. While numerous studies have identified a clear connection between AR binding and expression of target genes for a limited number of loci, high-throughput elucidation of these sites allows for a deeper understanding of the complexities of this process.We have mapped 189 AR occupied regions (ARORs and 1,388 histone H3 acetylation (AcH3 loci to a 3% continuous stretch of human genomic DNA using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP microarray analysis. Of 62 highly reproducible ARORs, 32 (52% were also marked by AcH3. While the number of ARORs detected in prostate cancer cells exceeded the number of nearby DHT-responsive genes, the AcH3 mark defined a subclass of ARORs much more highly associated with such genes -- 12% of the genes flanking AcH3+ARORs were DHT-responsive, compared to only 1% of genes flanking AcH3-ARORs. Most ARORs contained enhancer activities as detected in luciferase reporter assays. Analysis of the AROR sequences, followed by site-directed ChIP, identified binding sites for AR transcriptional coregulators FoxA1, CEBPbeta, NFI and GATA2, which had diverse effects on endogenous AR target gene expression levels in siRNA knockout experiments.We suggest that only some ARORs function under the given physiological conditions, utilizing diverse mechanisms. This diversity points to differential regulation of gene expression by the same transcription factor related to the chromatin structure.

Gene specific actions of thyroid hormone receptor subtypes.

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Jean Z Lin

Full Text Available There are two homologous thyroid hormone (TH receptors (TRs α and β, which are members of the nuclear hormone receptor (NR family. While TRs regulate different processes in vivo and other highly related NRs regulate distinct gene sets, initial studies of TR action revealed near complete overlaps in their actions at the level of individual genes. Here, we assessed the extent that TRα and TRβ differ in target gene regulation by comparing effects of equal levels of stably expressed exogenous TRs +/- T(3 in two cell backgrounds (HepG2 and HeLa. We find that hundreds of genes respond to T(3 or to unliganded TRs in both cell types, but were not able to detect verifiable examples of completely TR subtype-specific gene regulation. TR actions are, however, far from identical and we detect TR subtype-specific effects on global T(3 response kinetics in HepG2 cells and many examples of TR subtype specificity at the level of individual genes, including effects on magnitude of response to TR +/- T(3, TR regulation patterns and T(3 dose response. Cycloheximide (CHX treatment confirms that at least some differential effects involve verifiable direct TR target genes. TR subtype/gene-specific effects emerge in the context of widespread variation in target gene response and we suggest that gene-selective effects on mechanism of TR action highlight differences in TR subtype function that emerge in the environment of specific genes. We propose that differential TR actions could influence physiologic and pharmacologic responses to THs and selective TR modulators (STRMs.

Behavioral meaningful opioidergic stimulation activates kappa receptor gene expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teodorov, E.; Ferrari, M.F.R.; Fior-Chadi, D.R.; Camarini, R.; Felício, L.F.

2012-01-01

The periaqueductal gray (PAG) has been reported to be a location for opioid regulation of pain and a potential site for behavioral selection in females. Opioid-mediated behavioral and physiological responses differ according to the activity of opioid receptor subtypes. The present study investigated the effects of the peripheral injection of the kappa-opioid receptor agonist U69593 into the dorsal subcutaneous region of animals on maternal behavior and on Oprk1 gene activity in the PAG of female rats. Female Wistar rats weighing 200-250 g at the beginning of the study were randomly divided into 2 groups for maternal behavior and gene expression experiments. On day 5, pups were removed at 7:00 am and placed in another home cage that was distant from their mother. Thirty minutes after removing the pups, the dams were treated with U69593 (0.15 mg/kg, sc) or 0.9% saline (up to 1 mL/kg) and after 30 min were evaluated in the maternal behavior test. Latencies in seconds for pup retrieval, grouping, crouching, and full maternal behavior were scored. The results showed that U69593 administration inhibited maternal behavior (P < 0.05) because a lower percentage of U69593 group dams showed retrieval of first pup, retrieving all pups, grouping, crouching and displaying full maternal behavior compared to the saline group. Opioid gene expression was evaluated using real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A single injection of U69593 increased Oprk1 PAG expression in both virgin (P < 0.05) and lactating female rats (P < 0.01), with no significant effect on Oprm1 or Oprd1 gene activity. Thus, the expression of kappa-opioid receptors in the PAG may be modulated by single opioid receptor stimulation and behavioral meaningful opioidergic transmission in the adult female might occur simultaneously to specific changes in gene expression of kappa-opioid receptor subtype. This is yet another alert for the complex role of the opioid system in female

Behavioral meaningful opioidergic stimulation activates kappa receptor gene expression

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Teodorov, E. [Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Ferrari, M.F.R. [Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Fior-Chadi, D.R. [Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Camarini, R. [Departamento de Farmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Felício, L.F. [Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2012-06-01

The periaqueductal gray (PAG) has been reported to be a location for opioid regulation of pain and a potential site for behavioral selection in females. Opioid-mediated behavioral and physiological responses differ according to the activity of opioid receptor subtypes. The present study investigated the effects of the peripheral injection of the kappa-opioid receptor agonist U69593 into the dorsal subcutaneous region of animals on maternal behavior and on Oprk1 gene activity in the PAG of female rats. Female Wistar rats weighing 200-250 g at the beginning of the study were randomly divided into 2 groups for maternal behavior and gene expression experiments. On day 5, pups were removed at 7:00 am and placed in another home cage that was distant from their mother. Thirty minutes after removing the pups, the dams were treated with U69593 (0.15 mg/kg, sc) or 0.9% saline (up to 1 mL/kg) and after 30 min were evaluated in the maternal behavior test. Latencies in seconds for pup retrieval, grouping, crouching, and full maternal behavior were scored. The results showed that U69593 administration inhibited maternal behavior (P < 0.05) because a lower percentage of U69593 group dams showed retrieval of first pup, retrieving all pups, grouping, crouching and displaying full maternal behavior compared to the saline group. Opioid gene expression was evaluated using real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A single injection of U69593 increased Oprk1 PAG expression in both virgin (P < 0.05) and lactating female rats (P < 0.01), with no significant effect on Oprm1 or Oprd1 gene activity. Thus, the expression of kappa-opioid receptors in the PAG may be modulated by single opioid receptor stimulation and behavioral meaningful opioidergic transmission in the adult female might occur simultaneously to specific changes in gene expression of kappa-opioid receptor subtype. This is yet another alert for the complex role of the opioid system in female

Behavioral meaningful opioidergic stimulation activates kappa receptor gene expression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Teodorov

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The periaqueductal gray (PAG has been reported to be a location for opioid regulation of pain and a potential site for behavioral selection in females. Opioid-mediated behavioral and physiological responses differ according to the activity of opioid receptor subtypes. The present study investigated the effects of the peripheral injection of the kappa-opioid receptor agonist U69593 into the dorsal subcutaneous region of animals on maternal behavior and on Oprk1 gene activity in the PAG of female rats. Female Wistar rats weighing 200-250 g at the beginning of the study were randomly divided into 2 groups for maternal behavior and gene expression experiments. On day 5, pups were removed at 7:00 am and placed in another home cage that was distant from their mother. Thirty minutes after removing the pups, the dams were treated with U69593 (0.15 mg/kg, sc or 0.9% saline (up to 1 mL/kg and after 30 min were evaluated in the maternal behavior test. Latencies in seconds for pup retrieval, grouping, crouching, and full maternal behavior were scored. The results showed that U69593 administration inhibited maternal behavior (P < 0.05 because a lower percentage of kappa group dams showed retrieval of first pup, retrieving all pups, grouping, crouching and displaying full maternal behavior compared to the saline group. Opioid gene expression was evaluated using real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR. A single injection of U69593 increased Oprk1 PAG expression in both virgin (P < 0.05 and lactating female rats (P < 0.01, with no significant effect on Oprm1 or Oprd1 gene activity. Thus, the expression of kappa-opioid receptors in the PAG may be modulated by single opioid receptor stimulation and behavioral meaningful opioidergic transmission in the adult female might occur simultaneously to specific changes in gene expression of kappa-opioid receptor subtype. This is yet another alert for the complex role of the opioid system in

Correlations among obesity-associated gene polymorphisms, body composition, and physical activity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

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Sanae Saitoh

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Context: Various studies have focused on the correlation between β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR, the β3-adrenergic receptor (β3AR, and the uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1 polymorphisms and obesity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM. Aims: We examined the correlation between these polymorphisms and body composition variables and between body composition and lifestyle variables in Japanese T2DM patients. Materials and Methods: Of the 48, T2DM outpatients in Kanagawa prefecture recruited for participation, 32 (6 men and 26 women met the study criteria and were enrolled. Obesity-related gene polymorphisms were identified in 3 genes β3AR, UCP1, and β2AR using the SMart amplification process. Body composition variables were measured using a body composition analyzer. Data regarding food and nutrient consumption, family history, and lifestyle factors were collected via administration of questionnaires. Results: Because significant differences in body composition variables were found between men and women, statistical analysis was performed with data from the 25 female subjects only. On the basis of results of genetic testing, the subjects were divided into genotype groups for two-group and three-group comparison. The β3AR, UCP1, and β2AR polymorphisms and body composition significantly correlated with the percentage of subcutaneous fat in both arms as compared with the wild type or hetero groups with β3AR polymorphisms. However, physical activity correlated with several body composition variables. Conclusions: These results suggest that obesity in T2DM patients is not the result of presence of an obesity-related gene polymorphism but rather the absence of daily physical activity.

Size matters: Associations between the androgen receptor CAG repeat length and the intrafollicular hormone milieu

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borgbo, T; Macek, M; Chrudimska, J

2015-01-01

Granulosa cell (GC) expressed androgen receptors (AR) and intrafollicular androgens are central to fertility. The transactivating domain of the AR contains a polymorphic CAG repeat sequence, which is linked to the transcriptional activity of AR and may influence the GC function. This study aims...... to evaluate the effects of the AR CAG repeat length on the intrafollicular hormone profiles, and the gene expression profiles of GC from human small antral follicles. In total, 190 small antral follicles (3-11 mm in diameter) were collected from 58 women undergoing ovarian cryopreservation for fertility...... expression compared to medium CAG repeat lengths (P = 0.03). In conclusion, long CAG repeat lengths in the AR were associated to significant attenuated levels of androgens and an increased conversion of testosterone into oestradiol, in human small antral follicles....

Tzfp represses the androgen receptor in mouse testis.

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Furu, Kari; Klungland, Arne

2013-01-01

The testis zinc finger protein (Tzfp), also known as Repressor of GATA, belongs to the BTB/POZ zinc finger family of transcription factors and is thought to play a role in spermatogenesis due to its remarkably high expression in testis. Despite many attempts to find the in vivo role of the protein, the molecular function is still largely unknown. Here, we address this issue using a novel mouse model with a disrupted Tzfp gene. Homozygous Tzfp null mice are born at reduced frequency but appear viable and fertile. Sertoli cells in testes lacking Tzfp display an increase in Androgen Receptor (AR) signaling, and several genes in the testis, including Gata1, Aie1 and Fanc, show increased expression. Our results indicate that Tzfp function as a transcriptional regulator and that loss of the protein leads to alterations in AR signaling and reduced number of apoptotic cells in the testicular tubules.

The androgen receptor malignancy shift in prostate cancer.

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Copeland, Ben T; Pal, Sumanta K; Bolton, Eric C; Jones, Jeremy O

2018-05-01

Androgens and the androgen receptor (AR) are necessary for the development, function, and homeostatic growth regulation of the prostate gland. However, once prostate cells are transformed, the AR is necessary for the proliferation and survival of the malignant cells. This change in AR function appears to occur in nearly every prostate cancer. We have termed this the AR malignancy shift. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the AR malignancy shift, including the DNA-binding patterns that define the shift, the transcriptome changes associated with the shift, the putative drivers of the shift, and its clinical implications. In benign prostate epithelial cells, the AR primarily binds consensus AR binding sites. In carcinoma cells, the AR cistrome is dramatically altered, as the AR associates with FOXA1 and HOXB13 motifs, among others. This shift leads to the transcription of genes associated with a malignant phenotype. In model systems, some mutations commonly found in localized prostate cancer can alter the AR cistrome, consistent with the AR malignancy shift. Current evidence suggests that the AR malignancy shift is necessary but not sufficient for transformation of prostate epithelial cells. Reinterpretation of prostate cancer genomic classification systems in light of the AR malignancy shift may improve our ability to predict clinical outcomes and treat patients appropriately. Identifying and targeting the molecular factors that contribute to the AR malignancy shift is not trivial but by doing so, we may be able to develop new strategies for the treatment or prevention of prostate cancer. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Steroid receptor profiling of vinclozolin and its primary metabolites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molina-Molina, Jose-Manuel; Hillenweck, Anne; Jouanin, Isabelle; Zalko, Daniel; Cravedi, Jean-Pierre; Fernandez, Mariana-Fatima; Pillon, Arnaud; Nicolas, Jean-Claude; Olea, Nicolas; Balaguer, Patrick

2006-01-01

Several pesticides and fungicides commonly used to control agricultural and indoor pests are highly suspected to display endocrine-disrupting effects in animals and humans. Endocrine disruption is mainly caused by the interference of chemicals at the level of steroid receptors: it is now well known that many of these chemicals can display estrogenic effects and/or anti-androgenic effects, but much less is known about the interaction of these compounds with other steroid receptors. Vinclozolin, a dicarboximide fungicide, like its primary metabolites 2-[[(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-carbamoyl]oxy]-2-methyl-3-butenoic acid (M1), and 3',5'-dichloro-2-hydroxy-2-methylbut-3-enanilide (M2), is known to bind androgen receptor (AR). Although vinclozolin and its metabolites were characterized as anti-androgens, relatively little is known about their effects on the function of the progesterone (PR), glucocorticoid (GR), mineralocorticoid (MR) or estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ). Objectives of the study were to determine the ability of vinclozolin and its two primary metabolites to activate AR, PR, GR, MR and ER. For this purpose, we used reporter cell lines bearing luciferase gene under the control of wild type or chimeric Gal4 fusion AR, PR, GR, MR or ERs. We confirmed that all three were antagonists for AR, whereas only M2 was found a partial agonist. Interestingly, M2 was also a PR, GR and MR antagonist (MR >> PR > GR) while vinclozolin was an MR and PR antagonist. Vinclozolin, M1 and M2 were agonists for both ERs with a lower affinity for ERβ. Although the potencies of the fungicide and its metabolites are low when compared to natural ligands, their ability to act via more than one mechanism and the potential for additive or synergistic effect must be taken into consideration in the risk assessment process

Steroid receptor profiling of vinclozolin and its primary metabolites.

Science.gov (United States)

Molina-Molina, José-Manuel; Hillenweck, Anne; Jouanin, Isabelle; Zalko, Daniel; Cravedi, Jean-Pierre; Fernández, Mariana-Fátima; Pillon, Arnaud; Nicolas, Jean-Claude; Olea, Nicolás; Balaguer, Patrick

2006-10-01

Several pesticides and fungicides commonly used to control agricultural and indoor pests are highly suspected to display endocrine-disrupting effects in animals and humans. Endocrine disruption is mainly caused by the interference of chemicals at the level of steroid receptors: it is now well known that many of these chemicals can display estrogenic effects and/or anti-androgenic effects, but much less is known about the interaction of these compounds with other steroid receptors. Vinclozolin, a dicarboximide fungicide, like its primary metabolites 2-[[(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-carbamoyl]oxy]-2-methyl-3-butenoic acid (M1), and 3',5'-dichloro-2-hydroxy-2-methylbut-3-enanilide (M2), is known to bind androgen receptor (AR). Although vinclozolin and its metabolites were characterized as anti-androgens, relatively little is known about their effects on the function of the progesterone (PR), glucocorticoid (GR), mineralocorticoid (MR) or estrogen receptors (ERalpha and ERbeta). Objectives of the study were to determine the ability of vinclozolin and its two primary metabolites to activate AR, PR, GR, MR and ER. For this purpose, we used reporter cell lines bearing luciferase gene under the control of wild type or chimeric Gal4 fusion AR, PR, GR, MR or ERs. We confirmed that all three were antagonists for AR, whereas only M2 was found a partial agonist. Interestingly, M2 was also a PR, GR and MR antagonist (MR>PR>GR) while vinclozolin was an MR and PR antagonist. Vinclozolin, M1 and M2 were agonists for both ERs with a lower affinity for ERbeta. Although the potencies of the fungicide and its metabolites are low when compared to natural ligands, their ability to act via more than one mechanism and the potential for additive or synergistic effect must be taken into consideration in the risk assessment process.

AR-Signaling in Human Malignancies: Prostate Cancer and Beyond

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Michael T. Schweizer

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the 1940s Charles Huggins reported remarkable palliative benefits following surgical castration in men with advanced prostate cancer, and since then the androgen receptor (AR has remained the main therapeutic target in this disease. Over the past couple of decades, our understanding of AR-signaling biology has dramatically improved, and it has become apparent that the AR can modulate a number of other well-described oncogenic signaling pathways. Not surprisingly, mounting preclinical and epidemiologic data now supports a role for AR-signaling in promoting the growth and progression of several cancers other than prostate, and early phase clinical trials have documented preliminary signs of efficacy when AR-signaling inhibitors are used in several of these malignancies. In this article, we provide an overview of the evidence supporting the use of AR-directed therapies in prostate as well as other cancers, with an emphasis on the rationale for targeting AR-signaling across tumor types.

AR Signaling in Human Malignancies: Prostate Cancer and Beyond.

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Antonarakis, Emmanuel S

2018-01-18

The notion that androgens and androgen receptor (AR) signaling are the hallmarks of prostate cancer oncogenesis and disease progression is generally well accepted. What is more poorly understood is the role of AR signaling in other human malignancies. This special issue of Cancers initially reviews the role of AR in advanced prostate cancer, and then explores the potential importance of AR signaling in other epithelial malignancies. The first few articles focus on the use of novel AR-targeting therapies in castration-resistant prostate cancer and the mechanisms of resistance to novel antiandrogens, and they also outline the interaction between AR and other cellular pathways, including PI3 kinase signaling, transcriptional regulation, angiogenesis, stromal factors, Wnt signaling, and epigenetic regulation in prostate cancer. The next several articles review the possible role of androgens and AR signaling in breast cancer, bladder cancer, salivary gland cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as the potential treatment implications of using antiandrogen therapies in these non-prostatic malignancies.

Racial Variations in Prostate Cancer Molecular Subtypes and Androgen Receptor Signaling Reflect Anatomic Tumor Location.

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Faisal, Farzana A; Sundi, Debasish; Tosoian, Jeffrey J; Choeurng, Voleak; Alshalalfa, Mohammed; Ross, Ashley E; Klein, Eric; Den, Robert; Dicker, Adam; Erho, Nicholas; Davicioni, Elai; Lotan, Tamara L; Schaeffer, Edward M

2016-07-01

Prostate cancer (PCa) subtypes based on ETS gene expression have been described. Recent studies suggest there are racial differences in tumor location, with PCa located anteriorly more often among African-American (AA) compared to Caucasian-American (CA) men. In this retrospective analysis of a multi-institutional cohort treated by radical prostatectomy (179 CA, 121 AA), we evaluated associations among molecular subtype, race, anatomic tumor location, and androgen receptor (AR) signaling. Subtype (m-ERG(+), m-ETS(+), m-SPINK1(+), or triple-negative) was determined using distribution-based outlier analysis. AR signaling was investigated using gene expression profiling of canonical AR targets. m-ERG(+) was more common in CA than AA men (47% vs 22%, pprostate cancer molecular subtypes, and tumor location. Location-specific differences in androgen regulation may further underlie these relationships. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Androgen receptor (AR) degradation enhancer ASC-J9® in an FDA-approved formulated solution suppresses castration resistant prostate cancer cell growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Max A; Chou, Fu-Ju; Wang, Keliang; Yang, Rachel; Ding, Jie; Zhang, Qiaoxia; Li, Gonghui; Yeh, Shuyuan; Xu, Defeng; Chang, Chawnshang

2018-03-28

ASC-J9 ® is a recently-developed androgen receptor (AR)-degradation enhancer that effectively suppresses castration resistant prostate cancer (PCa) cell proliferation and invasion. The optimal half maximum inhibitory concentrations (IC 50 ) of ASC-J9 ® at various PCa cell confluences (20%, 50%, and 100%) were assessed via both short-term MTT growth assays and long-term clonogenic proliferation assays. Our results indicate that the IC 50 values for ASC-J9 ® increased with increasing cell confluency. The IC 50 values were significantly decreased in PCa AR-positive cells compared to PCa AR-negative cells or in normal prostate cells. This suggests that ASC-J9 ® may function mainly via targeting the AR-positive PCa cells with limited unwanted side-effects to suppress the surrounding normal prostate cells. Mechanism dissection indicated that ASC-J9 ® might function via altering the apoptosis signals to suppress the PCa AR-negative PC-3 cells. Preclinical studies using multiple in vitro PCa cell lines and an in vivo mouse model with xenografted castration-resistant PCa CWR22Rv1 cells demonstrated that ASC-J9 ® has similar AR degradation effects when dissolved in FDA-approved solvents, including DMSO, PEG-400:Tween-80 (95:5), DMA:Labrasol:Tween-80 (10:45:45), and DMA:Labrasol:Tween-20 (10:45:45). Together, results from preclinical studies suggest a potential new therapy with AR-degradation enhancer ASC-J9 ® may potentially be ready to be used in human clinical trials in order to better suppress PCa at later castration resistant stages. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Angiotensin-II type 1 receptor gene polymorphism and diabetic microangiopathy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tarnow, L; Cambien, Francois; Rossing, P

1996-01-01

with proliferative retinopathy and without diabetic retinopathy was found either: 77 (50%) / 66 (42%) / 13 (8%) vs. 42 (63%) / 22 (33%) / 3 (4%) had AA/AC/CC genotypes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The A1166-->C polymorphism in the angiotensin-II type 1 receptor gene does not contribute to the genetic susceptibility...... is present particularly in vascular smooth muscle cells, myocardium and the kidney. A transversion of adenine to cytosine at nucleotide position 1166 in the gene coding for the angiotensin-II type 1 receptor has been associated with hypertension in the non-diabetic population. METHODS: We studied...... the relationship between the A1166-->C polymorphism in the angiotensin-II type 1 receptor gene in patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and diabetic nephropathy (121 men, 77 women, age 41 +/- 10 years, diabetes duration 27 +/- 8 years) and in IDDM patients with normoalbuminuria (116 men, 74...

Clone and expression of human transferrin receptor gene: a marker gene for magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Li; Liu Lizhi; Lv Yanchun; Liu Xuewen; Cui Chunyan; Wu Peihong; Liu Qicai; Ou Shanxing

2007-01-01

Objective: To clone human transferrin receptor (hTfR) gene and construct expression vector producing recombination protein. Methods: Human transferrin receptor gene cDNA was amplified by RT-PCR from human embryonic liver and lung tissue. Recombinant pcDNA3-hTfR and pEGFP-Cl-hTfR plasmids were constructed and confirmed by DNA sequencing. These plasmids were stably transfected into the HEK293 cells. The protein expression in vitro was confirmed by Western Blot. The efficiency of expression and the location of hTfR were also investigated by fluorescence microscopy and confocal fluorescence microscopy. Results: The full length cDNA of hTfR gene (2332 bp) was cloned and sequenced. The hTfR (190 000) was overexpressed in transfected HEK293 cells by Western blot analysis. Fluorescence micrographs displayed that the hTfR was expressed at high level and located predominantly in the cell surface. Conclusions: Human transferrin receptor (hTfR) gene has been successfully cloned and obtained high-level expression in HEK293 cells, and the recombination protein of hTfR distributed predominantly in the cell membrane. (authors)

Polymorphisms of the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4 VNTR) and cannabinoid CB1 receptor gene (CNR1) are not strongly related to cue-reactivity after alcohol exposure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wildenberg, E. van den; Janssen, R.G.J.H.; Hutchison, K.E.; Breukelen, G.J.P. van; Wiers, R.W.H.J.

2007-01-01

Polymorphisms in the D4 dopamine receptor gene (DRD4) and the CB1 cannabinoid receptor gene (CNR1) have been associated with a differential response to alcohol after consumption. The goal of the present study was to investigate whether heavy drinkers with these polymorphisms would respond with

PCA3 noncoding RNA is involved in the control of prostate-cancer cell survival and modulates androgen receptor signaling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferreira, Luciana Bueno; Gimba, Etel Rodrigues Pereira; Palumbo, Antonio; Mello, Kivvi Duarte de; Sternberg, Cinthya; Caetano, Mauricio S; Oliveira, Felipe Leite de; Neves, Adriana Freitas; Nasciutti, Luiz Eurico; Goulart, Luiz Ricardo

2012-01-01

PCA3 is a non-coding RNA (ncRNA) that is highly expressed in prostate cancer (PCa) cells, but its functional role is unknown. To investigate its putative function in PCa biology, we used gene expression knockdown by small interference RNA, and also analyzed its involvement in androgen receptor (AR) signaling. LNCaP and PC3 cells were used as in vitro models for these functional assays, and three different siRNA sequences were specifically designed to target PCA3 exon 4. Transfected cells were analyzed by real-time qRT-PCR and cell growth, viability, and apoptosis assays. Associations between PCA3 and the androgen-receptor (AR) signaling pathway were investigated by treating LNCaP cells with 100 nM dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and with its antagonist (flutamide), and analyzing the expression of some AR-modulated genes (TMPRSS2, NDRG1, GREB1, PSA, AR, FGF8, CdK1, CdK2 and PMEPA1). PCA3 expression levels were investigated in different cell compartments by using differential centrifugation and qRT-PCR. LNCaP siPCA3-transfected cells significantly inhibited cell growth and viability, and increased the proportion of cells in the sub G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle and the percentage of pyknotic nuclei, compared to those transfected with scramble siRNA (siSCr)-transfected cells. DHT-treated LNCaP cells induced a significant upregulation of PCA3 expression, which was reversed by flutamide. In siPCA3/LNCaP-transfected cells, the expression of AR target genes was downregulated compared to siSCr-transfected cells. The siPCA3 transfection also counteracted DHT stimulatory effects on the AR signaling cascade, significantly downregulating expression of the AR target gene. Analysis of PCA3 expression in different cell compartments provided evidence that the main functional roles of PCA3 occur in the nuclei and microsomal cell fractions. Our findings suggest that the ncRNA PCA3 is involved in the control of PCa cell survival, in part through modulating AR signaling, which may raise new

Testosterone treatment increases androgen receptor and aromatase gene expression in myotubes from patients with PCOS and controls, but does not induce insulin resistance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eriksen, Mette Brandt; Glintborg, Dorte; Nielsen, Michael Friberg Bruun

2014-01-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with insulin resistance and increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Skeletal muscle is the major site of insulin mediated glucose disposal and the skeletal muscle tissue is capable to synthesize, convert and degrade androgens. Insulin sensitivity is conse......Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with insulin resistance and increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Skeletal muscle is the major site of insulin mediated glucose disposal and the skeletal muscle tissue is capable to synthesize, convert and degrade androgens. Insulin sensitivity...... is conserved in cultured myotubes (in vitro) from patients with PCOS, but the effect of testosterone on this insulin sensitivity is unknown. We investigated the effect of 7days testosterone treatment (100nmol/l) on glucose transport and gene expression levels of hormone receptors and enzymes involved...... in the synthesis and conversion of testosterone (HSD17B1, HSD17B2, CYP19A1, SRD5A1-2, AR, ER-α, HSD17B6 and AKR1-3) in myotubes from ten patients with PCOS and ten matched controls. Testosterone treatment significantly increased aromatase and androgen receptor gene expression levels in patients and controls...

Mice Lacking the β2 Adrenergic Receptor Have a Unique Genetic Profile before and after Focal Brain Ischaemia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robin E White

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The role of the β2AR (β2 adrenergic receptor after stroke is unclear as pharmacological manipulations of the β2AR have produced contradictory results. We previously showed that mice deficient in the β2AR (β2KO had smaller infarcts compared with WT (wild-type mice (FVB after MCAO (middle cerebral artery occlusion, a model of stroke. To elucidate mechanisms of this neuroprotection, we evaluated changes in gene expression using microarrays comparing differences before and after MCAO, and differences between genotypes. Genes associated with inflammation and cell deaths were enriched after MCAO in both genotypes, and we identified several genes not previously shown to increase following ischaemia (Ccl9, Gem and Prg4. In addition to networks that were similar between genotypes, one network with a central core of GPCR (G-protein-coupled receptor and including biological functions such as carbohydrate metabolism, small molecule biochemistry and inflammation was identified in FVB mice but not in β2KO mice. Analysis of differences between genotypes revealed 11 genes differentially expressed by genotype both before and after ischaemia. We demonstrate greater Glo1 protein levels and lower Pmaip/Noxa mRNA levels in β2KO mice in both sham and MCAO conditions. As both genes are implicated in NF-κB (nuclear factor κB signalling, we measured p65 activity and TNFα (tumour necrosis factor α levels 24 h after MCAO. MCAO-induced p65 activation and post-ischaemic TNFα production were both greater in FVB compared with β2KO mice. These results suggest that loss of β2AR signaling results in a neuroprotective phenotype in part due to decreased NF-κB signalling, decreased inflammation and decreased apoptotic signalling in the brain.

Nicotine induced CpG methylation of Pax6 binding motif in StAR promoter reduces the gene expression and cortisol production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Tingting; Chen, Man; Liu, Lian; Cheng, Huaiyan; Yan, You-E; Feng, Ying-Hong; Wang, Hui

2011-01-01

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) mediates the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of steroid hormones, essential to fetal development. We have reported that the StAR expression in fetal adrenal is inhibited in a rat model of nicotine-induced intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Here using primary human fetal adrenal cortex (pHFAC) cells and a human fetal adrenal cell line NCI-H295A, we show that nicotine inhibits StAR expression and cortisol production in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and prolongs the inhibitory effect on cells proliferating over 5 passages after termination of nicotine treatment. Methylation detection within the StAR promoter region uncovers a single site CpG methylation at nt -377 that is sensitive to nicotine treatment. Nicotine-induced alterations in frequency of this point methylation correlates well with the levels of StAR expression, suggesting an important role of the single site in regulating StAR expression. Further studies using bioinformatics analysis and siRNA approach reveal that the single CpG site is part of the Pax6 binding motif (CGCCTGA) in the StAR promoter. The luciferase activity assays validate that Pax6 increases StAR gene expression by binding to the glucagon G3-like motif (CGCCTGA) and methylation of this site blocks Pax6 binding and thus suppresses StAR expression. These data identify a nicotine-sensitive CpG site at the Pax6 binding motif in the StAR promoter that may play a central role in regulating StAR expression. The results suggest an epigenetic mechanism that may explain how nicotine contributes to onset of adult diseases or disorders such as metabolic syndrome via fetal programming. -- Highlights: ► Nicotine-induced StAR inhibition in two human adrenal cell models. ► Nicotine-induced single CpG site methylation in StAR promoter. ► Persistent StAR inhibition and single CpG methylation after nicotine termination. ► Single CpG methylation located at Pax6 binding motif regulates StAR

The Association of Polymorphisms in Leptin/Leptin Receptor Genes and Ghrelin/Ghrelin Receptor Genes With Overweight/Obesity and the Related Metabolic Disturbances: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghalandari, Hamid; Hosseini-Esfahani, Firoozeh; Mirmiran, Parvin

2015-07-01

Leptin and ghrelin are two important appetite and energy balance-regulating peptides. Common polymorphisms in the genes coding these peptides and their related receptors are shown to be associated with body weight, different markers of obesity and metabolic abnormalities. This review article aims to investigate the association of common polymorphisms of these genes with overweight/obesity and the metabolic disturbances related to it. The keywords leptin, ghrelin, polymorphism, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), obesity, overweight, Body Mass Index, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (MeSH headings) were used to search in the following databases: Pubmed, Sciencedirect (Elsevier), and Google scholar. Overall, 24 case-control studies, relevant to our topic, met the criteria and were included in the review. The most prevalent leptin/leptin receptor genes (LEP/LEPR) and ghrelin/ghrelin receptor genes (GHRL/GHSR) single nucleotide polymorphisms studied were LEP G-2548A, LEPR Q223R, and Leu72Met, respectively. Nine studies of the 17 studies on LEP/LEPR, and three studies of the seven studies on GHRL/GHSR showed significant relationships. In general, our study suggests that the association between LEP/LEPR and GHRL/GHSR with overweight/obesity and the related metabolic disturbances is inconclusive. These results may be due to unidentified gene-environment interactions. More investigations are needed to further clarify this association.

Homology-modeled ligand-binding domains of medaka estrogen receptors and androgen receptors: A model system for the study of reproduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui Jianzhou; Shen Xueyan; Yan Zuowei; Zhao Haobin; Nagahama, Yoshitaka

2009-01-01

Estrogen and androgen and their receptors play critical roles in physiological processes such as sexual differentiation and development. Using the available structural models for the human estrogen receptors alpha and beta and androgen receptor as templates, we designed in silico agonist and antagonist models of medaka estrogen receptor (meER) alpha, beta-1, and beta-2, and androgen receptor (meAR) alpha and beta. Using these models, we studied (1) the structural relationship between the ligand-binding domains (LBDs) of ERs and ARs of human and medaka, and (2) whether medaka ER and AR can be potential models for studying the ligand-binding activities of various agonists and antagonists of these receptors by docking analysis. A high level of conservation was observed between the sequences of the ligand-binding domains of meERα and huERα, meERβ1 and huERβ, meERβ2, and huERβ with 62.8%, 66.4%, and 65.1% identity, respectively. The sequence conservation between meARα and huAR, meARβ, and huAR was found with 70.1% and 61.0% of identity, respectively. Thirty-three selected endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including both agonists and antagonists, were docked into the LBD of ER and AR, and the corresponding docking score for medaka models and human templates were calculated. In order to confirm the conservation of the overall geometry and the binding pocket, the backbone root mean square deviation (RMSD) for Cα atoms was derived from the structure superposition of all 10 medaka homology models to the six human templates. Our results suggested conformational conservation between the ERs and ARs of medaka and human, Thus, medaka could be highly useful as a model system for studies involving estrogen and androgen interaction with their receptors.

Plastid and mitochondrion genomic sequences from Arctic Chlorella sp. ArM0029B

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Chorella is the representative taxon of Chlorellales in Trebouxiophyceae, and its chloroplast (cp) genomic information has been thought to depend only on studies concerning Chlorella vulgaris and GenBank information of C. variablis. Mitochondrial (mt) genomic information regarding Chlorella is currently unavailable. To elucidate the evolution of organelle genomes and genetic information of Chlorella, we have sequenced and characterized the cp and mt genomes of Arctic Chlorella sp. ArM0029B. Results The 119,989-bp cp genome lacking inverted repeats and 65,049-bp mt genome were sequenced. The ArM0029B cp genome contains 114 conserved genes, including 32 tRNA genes, 3 rRNA genes, and 79 genes encoding proteins. Chlorella cp genomes are highly rearranged except for a Chlorella-specific six-gene cluster, and the ArM0029B plastid resembles that of Chlorella variabilis except for a 15-kb gene cluster inversion. In the mt genome, 62 conserved genes, including 27 tRNA genes, 3 rRNA genes, and 32 genes encoding proteins were determined. The mt genome of ArM0029B is similar to that of the non-photosynthetic species Prototheca and Heicosporidium. The ArM0029B mt genome contains a group I intron, with an ORF containing two LAGLIDADG motifs, in cox1. The intronic ORF is shared by C. vulgaris and Prototheca. The phylogeny of the plastid genome reveals that ArM0029B showed a close relationship of Chlorella to Parachlorella and Oocystis within Chlorellales. The distribution of the cox1 intron at 721 support membership in the order Chlorellales. Mitochondrial phylogenomic analyses, however, indicated that ArM0029B shows a greater affinity to MX-AZ01 and Coccomyxa than to the Helicosporidium-Prototheca clade, although the detailed phylogenetic relationships among the three taxa remain to be resolved. Conclusions The plastid genome of ArM0029B is similar to that of C. variabilis. The mt sequence of ArM0029B is the first genome to be reported for Chlorella. Chloroplast

Activation of β-catenin signaling in androgen receptor-negative prostate cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Xinhai; Liu, Jie; Lu, Jing-Fang; Tzelepi, Vassiliki; Yang, Jun; Starbuck, Michael W; Diao, Lixia; Wang, Jing; Efstathiou, Eleni; Vazquez, Elba S; Troncoso, Patricia; Maity, Sankar N; Navone, Nora M

2012-02-01

To study Wnt/β-catenin in castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and understand its function independently of the β-catenin-androgen receptor (AR) interaction. We carried out β-catenin immunocytochemical analysis, evaluated TOP-flash reporter activity (a reporter of β-catenin-mediated transcription), and sequenced the β-catenin gene in MDA prostate cancer 118a, MDA prostate cancer 118b, MDA prostate cancer 2b, and PC-3 prostate cancer cells. We knocked down β-catenin in AR-negative MDA prostate cancer 118b cells and carried out comparative gene-array analysis. We also immunohistochemically analyzed β-catenin and AR in 27 bone metastases of human CRPCs. β-Catenin nuclear accumulation and TOP-flash reporter activity were high in MDA prostate cancer 118b but not in MDA prostate cancer 2b or PC-3 cells. MDA prostate cancer 118a and MDA prostate cancer 118b cells carry a mutated β-catenin at codon 32 (D32G). Ten genes were expressed differently (false discovery rate, 0.05) in MDA prostate cancer 118b cells with downregulated β-catenin. One such gene, hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2), synthesizes hyaluronan, a core component of the extracellular matrix. We confirmed HAS2 upregulation in PC-3 cells transfected with D32G-mutant β-catenin. Finally, we found nuclear localization of β-catenin in 10 of 27 human tissue specimens; this localization was inversely associated with AR expression (P = 0.056, Fisher's exact test), suggesting that reduced AR expression enables Wnt/β-catenin signaling. We identified a previously unknown downstream target of β-catenin, HAS2, in prostate cancer, and found that high β-catenin nuclear localization and low or no AR expression may define a subpopulation of men with bone metastatic prostate cancer. These findings may guide physicians in managing these patients.

α1b-Adrenergic Receptor Localization and Relationship to the D1-Dopamine Receptor in the Rat Nucleus Accumbens.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitrano, Darlene A; Jackson, Kelsey; Finley, Samantha; Seeley, Allison

2018-02-10

The α1-adrenergic receptors (α1ARs) have been implicated in numerous actions of the brain, including attention and wakefulness. Additionally, they have been identified as contributing to disorders of the brain, such as drug addiction, and recent work has shown a role of these receptors in relapse to psychostimulants. While some functionality is known, the actual subcellular localization of the subtypes of the α1ARs remains to be elucidated. Further, their anatomical relationship to receptors for other neurotransmitters, such as dopamine (DA), remains unclear. Therefore, using immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy techniques, this study describes the subcellular localization of the α1b-adrenergic receptor (α1bAR), the subtype most tied to relapse behaviors, as well as its relationship to the D1-dopamine receptor (D1R) in both the shell and core of the rat nucleus accumbens (NAc). Overall, α1bARs were found in unmyelinated axons and axon terminals with some labeling in dendrites. In accordance with other studies of the striatum, the D1R was found mainly in dendrites and spines; therefore, colocalization of the D1R with the α1bAR was rare postsynaptically. However, in the NAc shell, when the receptors were co-expressed in the same neuronal elements there was a trend for both receptors to be found on the plasma membrane, as opposed to the intracellular compartment. This study provides valuable anatomical information about the α1bAR and its relationship to the D1R and the regulation of DA and norepinephrine (NE) neurotransmission in the brain which have been examined previously. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Co-regulation of a large and rapidly evolving repertoire of odorant receptor genes

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Lane Robert P

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract The olfactory system meets niche- and species-specific demands by an accelerated evolution of its odorant receptor repertoires. In this review, we describe evolutionary processes that have shaped olfactory and vomeronasal receptor gene families in vertebrate genomes. We emphasize three important periods in the evolution of the olfactory system evident by comparative genomics: the adaptation to land in amphibian ancestors, the decline of olfaction in primates, and the delineation of putative pheromone receptors concurrent with rodent speciation. The rapid evolution of odorant receptor genes, the sheer size of the repertoire, as well as their wide distribution in the genome, presents a developmental challenge: how are these ever-changing odorant receptor repertoires coordinated within the olfactory system? A central organizing principle in olfaction is the specialization of sensory neurons resulting from each sensory neuron expressing only ~one odorant receptor allele. In this review, we also discuss this mutually exclusive expression of odorant receptor genes. We have considered several models to account for co-regulation of odorant receptor repertoires, as well as discussed a new hypothesis that invokes important epigenetic properties of the system.

Differential requirements of androgen receptor in luminal progenitors during prostate regeneration and tumor initiation

Science.gov (United States)

Chua, Chee Wai; Epsi, Nusrat J; Leung, Eva Y; Xuan, Shouhong; Lei, Ming; Li, Bo I; Bergren, Sarah K; Hibshoosh, Hanina; Mitrofanova, Antonina

2018-01-01

Master regulatory genes of tissue specification play key roles in stem/progenitor cells and are often important in cancer. In the prostate, androgen receptor (AR) is a master regulator essential for development and tumorigenesis, but its specific functions in prostate stem/progenitor cells have not been elucidated. We have investigated AR function in CARNs (CAstration-Resistant Nkx3.1-expressing cells), a luminal stem/progenitor cell that functions in prostate regeneration. Using genetically--engineered mouse models and novel prostate epithelial cell lines, we find that progenitor properties of CARNs are largely unaffected by AR deletion, apart from decreased proliferation in vivo. Furthermore, AR loss suppresses tumor formation after deletion of the Pten tumor suppressor in CARNs; however, combined Pten deletion and activation of oncogenic Kras in AR-deleted CARNs result in tumors with focal neuroendocrine differentiation. Our findings show that AR modulates specific progenitor properties of CARNs, including their ability to serve as a cell of origin for prostate cancer. PMID:29334357

Vitamin D receptor gene variants in Parkinson's disease patients ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Vitamin D plays an important role in neurodegenerative disorders as a crucial neuro-immunomodulator. Accumulating data provide evidences that vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene is a candidate gene for susceptibility to Parkinson's disease (PD). Aim: To find out whether the risk of the development of sporadic ...

Tzfp represses the androgen receptor in mouse testis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kari Furu

Full Text Available The testis zinc finger protein (Tzfp, also known as Repressor of GATA, belongs to the BTB/POZ zinc finger family of transcription factors and is thought to play a role in spermatogenesis due to its remarkably high expression in testis. Despite many attempts to find the in vivo role of the protein, the molecular function is still largely unknown. Here, we address this issue using a novel mouse model with a disrupted Tzfp gene. Homozygous Tzfp null mice are born at reduced frequency but appear viable and fertile. Sertoli cells in testes lacking Tzfp display an increase in Androgen Receptor (AR signaling, and several genes in the testis, including Gata1, Aie1 and Fanc, show increased expression. Our results indicate that Tzfp function as a transcriptional regulator and that loss of the protein leads to alterations in AR signaling and reduced number of apoptotic cells in the testicular tubules.

Binding of the Antagonist Caffeine to the Human Adenosine Receptor hA2AR in Nearly Physiological Conditions.

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Ruyin Cao

Full Text Available Lipid composition may significantly affect membrane proteins function, yet its impact on the protein structural determinants is not well understood. Here we present a comparative molecular dynamics (MD study of the human adenosine receptor type 2A (hA(2AR in complex with caffeine--a system of high neuro-pharmacological relevance--within different membrane types. These are POPC, mixed POPC/POPE and cholesterol-rich membranes. 0.8-μs MD simulations unambiguously show that the helical folding of the amphipathic helix 8 depends on membrane contents. Most importantly, the distinct cholesterol binding into the cleft between helix 1 and 2 stabilizes a specific caffeine-binding pose against others visited during the simulation. Hence, cholesterol presence (~33%-50% in synaptic membrane in central nervous system, often neglected in X-ray determination of membrane proteins, affects the population of the ligand binding poses. We conclude that including a correct description of neuronal membranes may be very important for computer-aided design of ligands targeting hA(2AR and possibly other GPCRs.

Glucocorticoid receptor gene polymorphism and juvenile idiopathic arthritis

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Scheplyagina Larisa A

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1 has been suggested as a candidate gene affecting juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA course and prognosis. The purpose of this study is to investigate the glucocorticoid receptor gene BclI polymorphism (rs41423247 in JIA patients, the gene's role in susceptibility to juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and its associations with JIA activity, course and bone mineralization. Methods One hundred twenty-two Caucasian children with JIA and 143 healthy ethnically matched controls were studied. We checked markers of clinical and laboratory activity: morning stiffness, Ritchie Articular Index (RAI, swollen joint count (SJC, tender joint count (TJC, physician's visual analog scale (VAS, hemoglobin level (Hb, leukocyte count (L, platelet count (Pl, Westergren erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR, C-reactive protein (CRP, albumin, DAS and DAS28. Bone mineralization was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA of lumbar spine L1-L4. Assessments of bone metabolism included osteocalcin, C-terminal telopeptide (CTT, parathyroid hormone (PTH, total and ionized calcium, inorganic phosphate and total alkaline phosphatase (TAP. BclI polymorphism was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results No association was observed between glucocorticoid receptor gene polymorphism and the presence or absence of JIA. In girls with JIA, the presence of the G allele was associated with an unfavorable arthritis course, a younger age of onset of arthritis (p = 0.0017, and higher inflammatory activity. The higher inflammatory activity was demonstrated by the following: increased time of morning stiffness (p = 0.02, VAS (p = 0.014, RAI (p = 0.048, DAS (p = 0.035, DAS28 (p = 0.05, Pl (p = 0.003, L (p = 0.046, CRP (p = 0.01. In addition, these patients had bone metabolism disturbances as follows: decreased BA (p = 0.0001, BMC (p = 0.00007, BMD (0.005 and Z score (p = 0.002; and

Detection of anabolic androgenic steroid abuse in doping control using mammalian reporter gene bioassays.

Science.gov (United States)

Houtman, Corine J; Sterk, Saskia S; van de Heijning, Monique P M; Brouwer, Abraham; Stephany, Rainer W; van der Burg, Bart; Sonneveld, Edwin

2009-04-01

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are a class of steroid hormones related to the male hormone testosterone. They are frequently detected as drugs in sport doping control. Being similar to or derived from natural male hormones, AAS share the activation of the androgen receptor (AR) as common mechanism of action. The mammalian androgen responsive reporter gene assay (AR CALUX bioassay), measuring compounds interacting with the AR can be used for the analysis of AAS without the necessity of knowing their chemical structure beforehand, whereas current chemical-analytical approaches may have difficulty in detecting compounds with unknown structures, such as designer steroids. This study demonstrated that AAS prohibited in sports and potential designer AAS can be detected with this AR reporter gene assay, but that also additional steroid activities of AAS could be found using additional mammalian bioassays for other types of steroid hormones. Mixtures of AAS were found to behave additively in the AR reporter gene assay showing that it is possible to use this method for complex mixtures as are found in doping control samples, including mixtures that are a result of multi drug use. To test if mammalian reporter gene assays could be used for the detection of AAS in urine samples, background steroidal activities were measured. AAS-spiked urine samples, mimicking doping positive samples, showed significantly higher androgenic activities than unspiked samples. GC-MS analysis of endogenous androgens and AR reporter gene assay analysis of urine samples showed how a combined chemical-analytical and bioassay approach can be used to identify samples containing AAS. The results indicate that the AR reporter gene assay, in addition to chemical-analytical methods, can be a valuable tool for the analysis of AAS for doping control purposes.

A novel human gene encoding a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPR15) is located on chromosome 3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heiber, M.; Marchese, A.; O`Dowd, B.F. [Univ. of Toronto, Ontario (Canada)] [and others

1996-03-05

We used sequence similarities among G-protein-coupled receptor genes to discover a novel receptor gene. Using primers based on conserved regions of the opioid-related receptors, we isolated a PCR product that was used to locate the full-length coding region of a novel human receptor gene, which we have named GPR15. A comparison of the amino acid sequence of the receptor gene, which we have named GPR15. A comparison of the amino acid sequence of the receptor encoded by GPR15 with other receptors revealed that it shared sequence identity with the angiotensin II AT1 and AT2 receptors, the interleukin 8b receptor, and the orphan receptors GPR1 and AGTL1. GPR15 was mapped to human chromosome 3q11.2-q13.1. 12 refs., 2 figs.

Early vertebrate chromosome duplications and the evolution of the neuropeptide Y receptor gene regions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brenner Sydney

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background One of the many gene families that expanded in early vertebrate evolution is the neuropeptide (NPY receptor family of G-protein coupled receptors. Earlier work by our lab suggested that several of the NPY receptor genes found in extant vertebrates resulted from two genome duplications before the origin of jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes and one additional genome duplication in the actinopterygian lineage, based on their location on chromosomes sharing several gene families. In this study we have investigated, in five vertebrate genomes, 45 gene families with members close to the NPY receptor genes in the compact genomes of the teleost fishes Tetraodon nigroviridis and Takifugu rubripes. These correspond to Homo sapiens chromosomes 4, 5, 8 and 10. Results Chromosome regions with conserved synteny were identified and confirmed by phylogenetic analyses in H. sapiens, M. musculus, D. rerio, T. rubripes and T. nigroviridis. 26 gene families, including the NPY receptor genes, (plus 3 described recently by other labs showed a tree topology consistent with duplications in early vertebrate evolution and in the actinopterygian lineage, thereby supporting expansion through block duplications. Eight gene families had complications that precluded analysis (such as short sequence length or variable number of repeated domains and another eight families did not support block duplications (because the paralogs in these families seem to have originated in another time window than the proposed genome duplication events. RT-PCR carried out with several tissues in T. rubripes revealed that all five NPY receptors were expressed in the brain and subtypes Y2, Y4 and Y8 were also expressed in peripheral organs. Conclusion We conclude that the phylogenetic analyses and chromosomal locations of these gene families support duplications of large blocks of genes or even entire chromosomes. Thus, these results are consistent with two early vertebrate

Social memory associated with estrogen receptor polymorphisms in women

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Karlsson, Sara; Henningsson, Susanne; Hovey, Daniel; Zettergren, Anna; Jonsson, Lina; Cortes, Diana S.; Melke, Jonas; Laukka, Petri; Fischer, Håkan

2016-01-01

The ability to recognize the identity of faces and voices is essential for social relationships. Although the heritability of social memory is high, knowledge about the contributing genes is sparse. Since sex differences and rodent studies support an influence of estrogens and androgens on social memory, polymorphisms in the estrogen and androgen receptor genes (ESR1, ESR2, AR) are candidates for this trait. Recognition of faces and vocal sounds, separately and combined, was investigated in 490 subjects, genotyped for 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ESR1, four in ESR2 and one in the AR. Four of the associations survived correction for multiple testing: women carrying rare alleles of the three ESR2 SNPs, rs928554, rs1271572 and rs1256030, in linkage disequilibrium with each other, displayed superior face recognition compared with non-carriers. Furthermore, the uncommon genotype of the ESR1 SNP rs2504063 was associated with better recognition of identity through vocal sounds, also specifically in women. This study demonstrates evidence for associations in women between face recognition and variation in ESR2, and recognition of identity through vocal sounds and variation in ESR1. These results suggest that estrogen receptors may regulate social memory function in humans, in line with what has previously been established in mice. PMID:26955855

PET/CT imaging of human somatostatin receptor 2 (hsstr2) as reporter gene for gene therapy

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Hofmann, M.; Gazdhar, A.; Weitzel, T.; Schmid, R.; Krause, T.

2006-01-01

Localized information on region-selective gene expression in small animals is widely obtained by use of reporter genes inducing light emission. Using these reporter genes for imaging deep inside the human body fluorescent probes are hindered by attenuation, scattering and possible fluorescence quenching. This can be overcome by use of radio-peptide receptors as reporter genes. Therefore, the feasibility of the somatostatin receptor 2 expression vector system for expression imaging was checked against a control vector containing luciferase gene. For in vivo transduction of vector DNA into the rat forelimb muscles the in vivo electroporation technique was chosen because of its high regio-selectivity. The gene expression was imaged by high-sensitive CCD camera (luciferase activity) and by PET/CT using a Ga-68-DOTATOC as radio peptide probe. The relative sstr2 expression was enhanced by gene transduction at maximum to a factor of 15. The PET/CT images could be fully quantified. The above demonstrated feasibility of radio-peptide PET/CT reporter gene imaging may serve in the future as a tool for full quantitative understanding of regional gene expression, especially in large animals and humans

PET/CT imaging of human somatostatin receptor 2 (hsstr2) as reporter gene for gene therapy

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Hofmann, M. [Molecular Imaging and Therapy Group (MIT-Bern), Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Inselspital, Medical School Bern (Switzerland)]. E-mail: Michael.Hofmann@insel.ch; Gazdhar, A. [Division of Pulmonary Medicine, University Hospital Bern (Switzerland); Weitzel, T. [Molecular Imaging and Therapy Group (MIT-Bern), Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Inselspital, Medical School Bern (Switzerland); Schmid, R. [Division of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Bern (Switzerland); Krause, T. [Molecular Imaging and Therapy Group (MIT-Bern), Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Inselspital, Medical School Bern (Switzerland)

2006-12-20

Localized information on region-selective gene expression in small animals is widely obtained by use of reporter genes inducing light emission. Using these reporter genes for imaging deep inside the human body fluorescent probes are hindered by attenuation, scattering and possible fluorescence quenching. This can be overcome by use of radio-peptide receptors as reporter genes. Therefore, the feasibility of the somatostatin receptor 2 expression vector system for expression imaging was checked against a control vector containing luciferase gene. For in vivo transduction of vector DNA into the rat forelimb muscles the in vivo electroporation technique was chosen because of its high regio-selectivity. The gene expression was imaged by high-sensitive CCD camera (luciferase activity) and by PET/CT using a Ga-68-DOTATOC as radio peptide probe. The relative sstr2 expression was enhanced by gene transduction at maximum to a factor of 15. The PET/CT images could be fully quantified. The above demonstrated feasibility of radio-peptide PET/CT reporter gene imaging may serve in the future as a tool for full quantitative understanding of regional gene expression, especially in large animals and human000.

Repeat polymorphisms in ESR2 and AR and colorectal cancer risk and prognosis: results from a German population-based case-control study.

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Rudolph, Anja; Shi, Hong; Försti, Asta; Hoffmeister, Michael; Sainz, Juan; Jansen, Lina; Hemminki, Kari; Brenner, Hermann; Chang-Claude, Jenny

2014-11-07

Evidence has accumulated which suggests that sex steroids influence colorectal cancer development and progression. We therefore assessed the association of repeat polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor β gene (ESR2) and the androgen receptor gene (AR) with colorectal cancer risk and prognosis. The ESR2 CA and AR CAG repeat polymorphisms were genotyped in 1798 cases (746 female, 1052 male) and 1810 controls (732 female, 1078 male), matched for sex, age and county of residence. Colorectal cancer risk associations overall and specific for gender were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for sex, county of residence and age. Associations with overall and disease-specific survival were evaluated using Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for established prognostic factors (diagnosis of other cancer after colorectal cancer diagnosis, detection by screening, treatment with adjuvant chemotherapy, tumour extent, nodal status, distant metastasis, body mass index, age at diagnosis and year of diagnosis) and stratified for grade of differentiation. Heterogeneity in gender specific associations was assessed by comparing models with and without a multiplicative interaction term by means of a likelihood ratio test. The average number of ESR2 CA repeats was associated with a small 5% increase in colorectal cancer risk (OR = 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.10) without significant heterogeneity according to gender or tumoural ESR2 expression. We found no indication for an association between the AR CAG repeat polymorphisms and risk of colorectal cancer. The ESR2 CA and AR CAG repeat polymorphisms were not associated with overall survival or disease specific survival after colorectal cancer diagnosis. Higher numbers of ESR2 CA repeats are potentially associated with a small increase in colorectal cancer risk. Our study does not support an association between colorectal cancer prognosis and the investigated repeat polymorphisms.

Beta3 adrenoceptors substitute the role of M(2) muscarinic receptor in coping with cold stress in the heart: evidence from M(2)KO mice.

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Benes, Jan; Novakova, Martina; Rotkova, Jana; Farar, Vladimir; Kvetnansky, Richard; Riljak, Vladimir; Myslivecek, Jaromir

2012-07-01

We investigated the role of beta3-adrenoceptors (AR) in cold stress (1 or 7 days in cold) in animals lacking main cardioinhibitive receptors-M2 muscarinic receptors (M(2)KO). There was no change in receptor number in the right ventricles. In the left ventricles, there was decrease in binding to all cardiostimulative receptors (beta1-, and beta2-AR) and increase in cardiodepressive receptors (beta3-AR) in unstressed KO in comparison to WT. The cold stress in WT animals resulted in decrease in binding to beta1- and beta2-AR (to 37%/35% after 1 day in cold and to 27%/28% after 7 days in cold) while beta3-AR were increased (to 216% of control) when 7 days cold was applied. MR were reduced to 46% and 58%, respectively. Gene expression of M2 MR in WT was not changed due to stress, while M3 was changed. The reaction of beta1- and beta2-AR (binding) to cold was similar in KO and WT animals, and beta3-AR in stressed KO animals did not change. Adenylyl cyclase activity was affected by beta3-agonist CL316243 in cold stressed WT animals but CL316243 had almost no effects on adenylyl cyclase activity in stressed KO. Nitric oxide activity (NOS) was not affected by BRL37344 (beta3-agonist) both in WT and KO animals. Similarly, the stress had no effects on NOS activity in WT animals and in KO animals. We conclude that the function of M2 MR is substituted by beta3-AR and that these effects are mediated via adenylyl cyclase rather than NOS.

The NLR-related protein NWD1 is associated with prostate cancer and modulates androgen receptor signaling.

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Correa, Ricardo G; Krajewska, Maryla; Ware, Carl F; Gerlic, Motti; Reed, John C

2014-03-30

Prostate cancer (PCa) is among the leading causes of cancer-related death in men. Androgen receptor (AR) signaling plays a seminal role in prostate development and homeostasis, and dysregulation of this pathway is intimately linked to prostate cancer pathogenesis and progression. Here, we identify the cytosolic NLR-related protein NWD1 as a novel modulator of AR signaling. We determined that expression of NWD1 becomes elevated during prostate cancer progression, based on analysis of primary tumor specimens. Experiments with cultured cells showed that NWD1 expression is up-regulated by the sex-determining region Y (SRY) family proteins. Gene silencing procedures, in conjunction with transcriptional profiling, showed that NWD1 is required for expression of PDEF (prostate-derived Ets factor), which is known to bind and co-regulate AR. Of note, NWD1 modulates AR protein levels. Depleting NWD1 in PCa cell lines reduces AR levels and suppresses activity of androgen-driven reporter genes. NWD1 knockdown potently suppressed growth of androgen-dependent LNCaP prostate cancer cells, thus showing its functional importance in an AR-dependent tumor cell model. Proteomic analysis suggested that NWD1 associates with various molecular chaperones commonly related to AR complexes. Altogether, these data suggest a role for tumor-associated over-expression of NWD1 in dysregulation of AR signaling in PCa.

Oxytocin and Vasopressin Receptor Gene Polymorphisms: Role in Social and Psychiatric Traits

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Aspé-Sánchez, Mauricio; Moreno, Macarena; Rivera, Maria Ignacia; Rossi, Alejandra; Ewer, John

2016-01-01

Oxytocin (OXT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) are two phylogenetically conserved neuropeptides that have been implicated in a wide range of social behaviors. Although a large body of research, ranging from rodents to humans, has reported on the effects of OXT and AVP administration on affiliative and trust behaviors, and has highlighted the genetic contributions of OXT and AVP receptor polymorphisms to both social behaviors and to diseases related to social deficits, the consequences of peptide administration on psychiatric symptoms, and the impact of receptor polymorphisms on receptor function, are still unclear. Despite the exciting advances that these reports have brought to social neuroscience, they remain preliminary and suffer from the problems that are inherent to monogenetic linkage and association studies. As an alternative, some studies are using polygenic approaches, and consider the contributions of other genes and pathways, including those involving DA, 5-HT, and reelin, in addition to OXT and AVP; a handful of report are also using genome-wide association studies. This review summarizes findings on the associations between OXT and AVP receptor polymorphism, social behavior, and psychiatric diseases. In addition, we discuss reports on the interactions of OXT and AVP receptor genes and genes involved in other pathways (such as those of dopamine, serotonin, and reelin), as well as research that has shed some light on the impact of gene polymorphisms on the volume, connectivity, and activation of specific neural structures, differential receptor expression, and plasma levels of the OXT and AVP peptides. We hope that this effort will be helpful for understanding the studies performed so far, and for encouraging the inclusion of other candidate genes not explored to date. PMID:26858594

Restoration of spermatogenesis and male fertility using an androgen receptor transgene.

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William H Walker

Full Text Available Androgens signal through the androgen receptor (AR to regulate male secondary sexual characteristics, reproductive tract development, prostate function, sperm production, bone and muscle mass as well as body hair growth among other functions. We developed a transgenic mouse model in which endogenous AR expression was replaced by a functionally modified AR transgene. A bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC was constructed containing all AR exons and introns plus 40 kb each of 5' and 3' regulatory sequence. Insertion of an internal ribosome entry site and the EGFP gene 3' to AR allowed co-expression of AR and EGFP. Pronuclear injection of the BAC resulted in six founder mice that displayed EGFP production in appropriate AR expressing tissues. The six founder mice were mated into a Sertoli cell specific AR knockout (SCARKO background in which spermatogenesis is blocked at the meiosis stage of germ cell development. The AR-EGFP transgene was expressed in a cyclical manner similar to that of endogenous AR in Sertoli cells and fertility was restored as offspring were produced in the absence of Sertoli cell AR. Thus, the AR-EGFP transgene under the control of AR regulatory elements is capable of rescuing AR function in a cell selective, AR-null background. These initial studies provide proof of principle that a strategy employing the AR-EGFP transgene can be used to understand AR functions. Transgenic mice expressing selective modifications of the AR-EGFP transgene may provide crucial information needed to elicit the molecular mechanisms by which AR acts in the testis and other androgen responsive tissues.

Somatic mosaicism of androgen receptor CAG repeats in colorectal carcinoma epithelial cells from men.

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Di Fabio, Francesco; Alvarado, Carlos; Gologan, Adrian; Youssef, Emad; Voda, Linda; Mitmaker, Elliot; Beitel, Lenore K; Gordon, Philip H; Trifiro, Mark

2009-06-01

The X-linked human androgen receptor gene (AR) contains an exonic polymorphic trinucleotide CAG. The length of this encoded CAG tract inversely affects AR transcriptional activity. Colorectal carcinoma is known to express the androgen receptor, but data on somatic CAG repeat lengths variations in malignant and normal epithelial cells are still sporadic. Using laser capture microdissection (LCM), epithelial cells from colorectal carcinoma and normal-appearing mucosa were collected from the fresh tissue of eight consecutive male patients undergoing surgery (mean age, 70 y; range, 54-82). DNA isolated from each LCM sample underwent subsequent PCR and DNA sequencing to precisely determine AR CAG repeat lengths and the presence of microsatellite instability (MSI). Different AR CAG repeat lengths were observed in colorectal carcinoma (ranging from 0 to 36 CAG repeats), mainly in the form of multiple shorter repeat lengths. This genetic heterogeneity (somatic mosaicism) was also found in normal-appearing colorectal mucosa. Half of the carcinoma cases examined tended to have a higher number of AR CAG repeat lengths with a wider range of repeat size variation compared to normal mucosa. MSI carcinomas tended to have longer median AR CAG repeat lengths (n = 17) compared to microsatellite stable carcinomas (n = 14), although the difference was not significant (P = 0.31, Mann-Whitney test). Multiple unique somatic mutations of the AR CAG repeats occur in colorectal mucosa and in carcinoma, predominantly resulting in shorter alleles. Colorectal epithelial cells carrying AR alleles with shorter CAG repeat lengths may be more androgen-sensitive and therefore have a growth advantage.

The oestrogen receptor alpha-regulated lncRNA NEAT1 is a critical modulator of prostate cancer

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Chakravarty, Dimple; Sboner, Andrea; Nair, Sujit S.; Giannopoulou, Eugenia; Li, Ruohan; Hennig, Sven; Mosquera, Juan Miguel; Pauwels, Jonathan; Park, Kyung; Kossai, Myriam; MacDonald, Theresa Y.; Fontugne, Jacqueline; Erho, Nicholas; Vergara, Ismael A.; Ghadessi, Mercedeh; Davicioni, Elai; Jenkins, Robert B.; Palanisamy, Nallasivam; Chen, Zhengming; Nakagawa, Shinichi; Hirose, Tetsuro; Bander, Neil H.; Beltran, Himisha; Fox, Archa H.; Elemento, Olivier; Rubin, Mark A.

2014-01-01

The androgen receptor (AR) plays a central role in establishing an oncogenic cascade that drives prostate cancer progression. Some prostate cancers escape androgen dependence and are often associated with an aggressive phenotype. The oestrogen receptor alpha (ERα) is expressed in prostate cancers, independent of AR status. However, the role of ERα remains elusive. Using a combination of chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and RNA-sequencing data, we identified an ERα-specific non-coding transcriptome signature. Among putatively ERα-regulated intergenic long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), we identified nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) as the most significantly overexpressed lncRNA in prostate cancer. Analysis of two large clinical cohorts also revealed that NEAT1 expression is associated with prostate cancer progression. Prostate cancer cells expressing high levels of NEAT1 were recalcitrant to androgen or AR antagonists. Finally, we provide evidence that NEAT1 drives oncogenic growth by altering the epigenetic landscape of target gene promoters to favour transcription. PMID:25415230

Zipper-interacting protein kinase is involved in regulation of ubiquitination of the androgen receptor, thereby contributing to dynamic transcription complex assembly.

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Felten, A; Brinckmann, D; Landsberg, G; Scheidtmann, K H

2013-10-10

We have recently identified apoptosis-antagonizing transcription factor (AATF), tumor-susceptibility gene 101 (TSG101) and zipper-interacting protein kinase (ZIPK) as novel coactivators of the androgen receptor (AR). The mechanisms of coactivation remained obscure, however. Here we investigated the interplay and interdependence between these coactivators and the AR using the endogenous prostate specific antigen (PSA) gene as model for AR-target genes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation in combination with siRNA-mediated knockdown revealed that recruitment of AATF and ZIPK to the PSA enhancer was dependent on AR, whereas recruitment of TSG101 was dependent on AATF. Association of AR and its coactivators with the PSA enhancer or promoter occurred in cycles. Dissociation of AR-transcription complexes was due to degradation because inhibition of the proteasome system by MG132 caused accumulation of AR at enhancer/promoter elements. Moreover, inhibition of degradation strongly reduced transcription, indicating that continued and efficient transcription is based on initiation, degradation and reinitiation cycles. Interestingly, knockdown of ZIPK by siRNA had a similar effect as MG132, leading to reduced transcription but enhanced accumulation of AR at androgen-response elements. In addition, knockdown of ZIPK, as well as overexpression of a dominant-negative ZIPK mutant, diminished polyubiquitination of AR. Furthermore, ZIPK cooperated with the E3 ligase Mdm2 in AR-dependent transactivation, assembled into a single complex on chromatin and phosphorylated Mdm2 in vitro. These results suggest that ZIPK has a crucial role in regulation of ubiquitination and degradation of the AR, and hence promoter clearance and efficient transcription.

Gene number determination and genetic polymorphism of the gamma delta T cell co-receptor WC1 genes

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Chen Chuang

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background WC1 co-receptors belong to the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR superfamily and are encoded by a multi-gene family. Expression of particular WC1 genes defines functional subpopulations of WC1+ γδ T cells. We have previously identified partial or complete genomic sequences for thirteen different WC1 genes through annotation of the bovine genome Btau_3.1 build. We also identified two WC1 cDNA sequences from other cattle that did not correspond to sequences in the Btau_3.1 build. Their absence in the Btau_3.1 build may have reflected gaps in the genome assembly or polymorphisms among animals. Since the response of γδ T cells to bacterial challenge is determined by WC1 gene expression, it was critical to understand whether individual cattle or breeds differ in the number of WC1 genes or display polymorphisms. Results Real-time quantitative PCR using DNA from the animal whose genome was sequenced (“Dominette” and sixteen other animals representing ten breeds of cattle, showed that the number of genes coding for WC1 co-receptors is thirteen. The complete coding sequences of those thirteen WC1 genes is presented, including the correction of an error in the WC1-2 gene due to mis-assembly in the Btau_3.1 build. All other cDNA sequences were found to agree with the previous annotation of complete or partial WC1 genes. PCR amplification and sequencing of the most variable N-terminal SRCR domain (domain 1 which has the SRCR “a” pattern of each of the thirteen WC1 genes showed that the sequences are highly conserved among individuals and breeds. Of 160 sequences of domain 1 from three breeds of cattle, no additional sequences beyond the thirteen described WC1 genes were found. Analysis of the complete WC1 cDNA sequences indicated that the thirteen WC1 genes code for three distinct WC1 molecular forms. Conclusion The bovine WC1 multi-gene family is composed of thirteen genes coding for three structural forms whose

Association study between schizophrenia and dopamine D3 receptor gene polymorphism

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Tanaka, Toshihisa; Takahashi, Makoto; Maeda, Masaya [Niigata Univ. (Japan)] [and others

1996-07-26

Crocq et al. reported the existence of an association between schizophrenia and homozygosity of a BalI polymorphism in the first exon of the dopamine D3 receptor (DRD3) gene. In response to this report, further studies were conducted; however, these studies yielded conflicting results. In the present study, we examined 100 unrelated Japanese schizophrenics and 100 normal controls to determine any association between this polymorphism and schizophrenia. Results suggest that neither allele nor genotype frequencies of the DRD3 gene in the schizophrenics as a whole are significantly different from those of the controls. Further, we found no association between any allele or genotype and any clinical subtype based on family history of schizophrenia and age-at-onset. A significantly high frequency of homozygosity of a dopamine D3 receptor gene allele was not observed in the schizophrenics as a whole, or in clinical subtypes. Our results suggest that an association between the dopamine D3 receptor gene and schizophrenia is unlikely to exist. 26 refs., 1 tab.

Docosahexaenoic acid inhibits the growth of hormone-dependent prostate cancer cells by promoting the degradation of the androgen receptor.

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Hu, Zhimei; Qi, Haixia; Zhang, Ruixue; Zhang, Kun; Shi, Zhemin; Chang, Yanan; Chen, Linfeng; Esmaeili, Mohsen; Baniahmad, Aria; Hong, Wei

2015-09-01

Epidemiological and preclinical data have demonstrated the preventative effects of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), on prostate cancer. However, there are inconsistencies in these previous studies and the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In the present study, the androgen receptor (AR), which is a transcription factor involved in cell proliferation and prostate carcinogenesis, was identified as a target of DHA. It was revealed that DHA inhibited hormone‑dependent growth of LNCaP prostate cancer cells. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that treatment with DHA caused no alteration in the transcribed mRNA expression levels of the AR gene. However, immunoblotting revealed that this treatment reduces the protein expression level of the AR. The androgen‑induced genes were subsequently repressed by treatment with DHA. It was demonstrated that DHA exhibits no effect on the translation process of the AR, however, it promotes the proteasome‑mediated degradation of the AR. Therefore, the present study provided a novel mechanism by which DHA exhibits an inhibitory effect on growth of prostate cancer cells.

Enzalutamide inhibits proliferation of gemcitabine-resistant bladder cancer cells with increased androgen receptor expression.

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Kameyama, Koji; Horie, Kengo; Mizutani, Kosuke; Kato, Taku; Fujita, Yasunori; Kawakami, Kyojiro; Kojima, Toshio; Miyazaki, Tatsuhiko; Deguchi, Takashi; Ito, Masafumi

2017-01-01

Advanced bladder cancer is treated mainly with gemcitabine and cisplatin, but most patients eventually become resistance. Androgen receptor (AR) signaling has been implicated in bladder cancer as well as other types of cancer including prostate cancer. In this study, we investigated the expression and role of AR in gemcitabine-resistant bladder cancer cells and also the potential of enzalutamide, an AR inhibitor, as a therapeutic for the chemoresistance. First of all, we established gemcitabine-resistant T24 cells (T24GR) from T24 bladder cancer cells and performed gene expression profiling. Microarray analysis revealed upregulation of AR expression in T24GR cells compared with T24 cells. AR mRNA and protein expression was confirmed to be increased in T24GR cells, respectively, by quantitative RT-PCR and western blot analysis, which was associated with more potent AR transcriptional activity as measured by luciferase reporter assay. The copy number of AR gene in T24GR cells determined by PCR was twice as many as that of T24 cells. AR silencing by siRNA transfection resulted in inhibition of proliferation of T24GR cells. Cell culture in charcoal-stripped serum and treatment with enzalutamide inhibited growth of T24GR cells, which was accompanied by cell cycle arrest. AR transcriptional activity was found to be reduced in T24GR cells by enzalutamide treatment. Lastly, enzalutamide also inhibited cell proliferation of HTB5 bladder cancer cells that express AR and possess intrinsic resistance to gemcitabine. Our results suggest that enzalutamide may have the potential to treat patients with advanced gemcitabine-resistant bladder cancer with increased AR expression.

Nicotine induced CpG methylation of Pax6 binding motif in StAR promoter reduces the gene expression and cortisol production

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Wang, Tingting [Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Department of Pharmacology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland (United States); Chen, Man; Liu, Lian [Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Cheng, Huaiyan [Department of Pharmacology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland (United States); Yan, You-E [Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Feng, Ying-Hong, E-mail: yhfeng@usuhs.edu [Department of Pharmacology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland (United States); Wang, Hui, E-mail: wanghui19@whu.edu.cn [Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Research Center of Food and Drug Evaluation, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China)

2011-12-15

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) mediates the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of steroid hormones, essential to fetal development. We have reported that the StAR expression in fetal adrenal is inhibited in a rat model of nicotine-induced intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Here using primary human fetal adrenal cortex (pHFAC) cells and a human fetal adrenal cell line NCI-H295A, we show that nicotine inhibits StAR expression and cortisol production in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and prolongs the inhibitory effect on cells proliferating over 5 passages after termination of nicotine treatment. Methylation detection within the StAR promoter region uncovers a single site CpG methylation at nt -377 that is sensitive to nicotine treatment. Nicotine-induced alterations in frequency of this point methylation correlates well with the levels of StAR expression, suggesting an important role of the single site in regulating StAR expression. Further studies using bioinformatics analysis and siRNA approach reveal that the single CpG site is part of the Pax6 binding motif (CGCCTGA) in the StAR promoter. The luciferase activity assays validate that Pax6 increases StAR gene expression by binding to the glucagon G3-like motif (CGCCTGA) and methylation of this site blocks Pax6 binding and thus suppresses StAR expression. These data identify a nicotine-sensitive CpG site at the Pax6 binding motif in the StAR promoter that may play a central role in regulating StAR expression. The results suggest an epigenetic mechanism that may explain how nicotine contributes to onset of adult diseases or disorders such as metabolic syndrome via fetal programming. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nicotine-induced StAR inhibition in two human adrenal cell models. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nicotine-induced single CpG site methylation in StAR promoter. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Persistent StAR inhibition and single CpG methylation after nicotine termination

FOXA1 promotes tumor cell proliferation through AR involving the Notch pathway in endometrial cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu, Meiting; Bao, Wei; Wang, Jingyun; Yang, Tingting; He, Xiaoying; Liao, Yun; Wan, Xiaoping

2014-01-01

Increasing evidence suggests that forkhead box A1 (FOXA1) is frequently dysregulated in many types of human cancers. However, the exact function and mechanism of FOXA1 in human endometrial cancer (EC) remains unclear. FOXA1 expression, androgen receptor (AR) expression, and the relationships of these two markers with clinicopathological factors were determined by immunohistochemistry analysis. FOXA1 and AR were up-regulated by transient transfection with plasmids, and were down-regulated by transfection with siRNA or short hairpin RNA (shRNA). The effects of FOXA1 depletion and FOXA1 overexpression on AR-mediated transcription as well as Notch pathway and their impact on EC cell proliferation were examined by qRT-PCR, western blotting, co-immunoprecipitation, ChIP-PCR, MTT, colony-formation, and xenograft tumor–formation assays. We found that the expression of FOXA1 and AR in ECs was significantly higher than that in a typical hyperplasia and normal tissues. FOXA1 expression was significantly correlated with AR expression in clinical tissues. High FOXA1 levels positively correlated with pathological grade and depth of myometrial invasion in EC. High AR levels also positively correlated with pathological grade in EC. Moreover, the expression of XBP1, MYC, ZBTB16, and UHRF1, which are downstream targets of AR, was promoted by FOXA1 up-regulation or inhibited by FOXA1 down-regulation. Co-immunoprecipitation showed that FOXA1 interacted with AR in EC cells. ChIP-PCR assays showed that FOXA1 and AR could directly bind to the promoter and enhancer regions upstream of MYC. Mechanistic investigation revealed that over-expression of Notch1 and Hes1 proteins by FOXA1 could be reversed by AR depletion. In addition, we showed that down-regulation of AR attenuated FOXA1-up-regulated cell proliferation. However, AR didn’t influence the promotion effect of FOXA1 on cell migration and invasion. In vivo xenograft model, FOXA1 knockdown reduced the rate of tumor growth. These

Mu Opioid Receptor Gene: New Point Mutations in Opioid Addicts

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Amin Dinarvand

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in mu opioid receptor gene and drug addiction has been shown in various studies. Here, we have evaluated the existence of polymorphisms in exon 3 of this gene in Iranian population and investigated the possible association between these mutations and opioid addiction.  Methods: 79 opioid-dependent subjects (55 males, 24 females and 134 non-addict or control individuals (74 males, 60 females participated in the study. Genomic DNA was extracted from volunteers’ peripheral blood and exon 3 of the mu opioid receptor gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR whose products were then sequenced.  Results: Three different heterozygote polymorphisms were observed in 3 male individuals: 759T>C and 877G>A mutations were found in 2 control volunteers and 1043G>C substitution was observed in an opioid-addicted subject. Association between genotype and opioid addiction for each mutation was not statistically significant.  Discussion: It seems that the sample size used in our study is not enough to confirm or reject any association between 759T>C, 877G>A and 1043G>C substitutions in exon 3 of the mu opioid receptor gene and opioid addiction susceptibility in Iranian population.

Androgen receptor drives cellular senescence.

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Yelena Mirochnik

Full Text Available The accepted androgen receptor (AR role is to promote proliferation and survival of prostate epithelium and thus prostate cancer progression. While growth-inhibitory, tumor-suppressive AR effects have also been documented, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we for the first time link AR anti-cancer action with cell senescence in vitro and in vivo. First, AR-driven senescence was p53-independent. Instead, AR induced p21, which subsequently reduced ΔN isoform of p63. Second, AR activation increased reactive oxygen species (ROS and thereby suppressed Rb phosphorylation. Both pathways were critical for senescence as was proven by p21 and Rb knock-down and by quenching ROS with N-Acetyl cysteine and p63 silencing also mimicked AR-induced senescence. The two pathways engaged in a cross-talk, likely via PML tumor suppressor, whose localization to senescence-associated chromatin foci was increased by AR activation. All these pathways contributed to growth arrest, which resolved in senescence due to concomitant lack of p53 and high mTOR activity. This is the first demonstration of senescence response caused by a nuclear hormone receptor.

Pseudogenization of a sweet-receptor gene accounts for cats' indifference toward sugar.

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Xia Li

2005-07-01

Full Text Available Although domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus possess an otherwise functional sense of taste, they, unlike most mammals, do not prefer and may be unable to detect the sweetness of sugars. One possible explanation for this behavior is that cats lack the sensory system to taste sugars and therefore are indifferent to them. Drawing on work in mice, demonstrating that alleles of sweet-receptor genes predict low sugar intake, we examined the possibility that genes involved in the initial transduction of sweet perception might account for the indifference to sweet-tasting foods by cats. We characterized the sweet-receptor genes of domestic cats as well as those of other members of the Felidae family of obligate carnivores, tiger and cheetah. Because the mammalian sweet-taste receptor is formed by the dimerization of two proteins (T1R2 and T1R3; gene symbols Tas1r2 and Tas1r3, we identified and sequenced both genes in the cat by screening a feline genomic BAC library and by performing PCR with degenerate primers on cat genomic DNA. Gene expression was assessed by RT-PCR of taste tissue, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry. The cat Tas1r3 gene shows high sequence similarity with functional Tas1r3 genes of other species. Message from Tas1r3 was detected by RT-PCR of taste tissue. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical studies demonstrate that Tas1r3 is expressed, as expected, in taste buds. However, the cat Tas1r2 gene shows a 247-base pair microdeletion in exon 3 and stop codons in exons 4 and 6. There was no evidence of detectable mRNA from cat Tas1r2 by RT-PCR or in situ hybridization, and no evidence of protein expression by immunohistochemistry. Tas1r2 in tiger and cheetah and in six healthy adult domestic cats all show the similar deletion and stop codons. We conclude that cat Tas1r3 is an apparently functional and expressed receptor but that cat Tas1r2 is an unexpressed pseudogene. A functional sweet-taste receptor heteromer

Pseudogenization of a Sweet-Receptor Gene Accounts for Cats' Indifference toward Sugar.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2005-07-01

Full Text Available Although domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus possess an otherwise functional sense of taste, they, unlike most mammals, do not prefer and may be unable to detect the sweetness of sugars. One possible explanation for this behavior is that cats lack the sensory system to taste sugars and therefore are indifferent to them. Drawing on work in mice, demonstrating that alleles of sweet-receptor genes predict low sugar intake, we examined the possibility that genes involved in the initial transduction of sweet perception might account for the indifference to sweet-tasting foods by cats. We characterized the sweet-receptor genes of domestic cats as well as those of other members of the Felidae family of obligate carnivores, tiger and cheetah. Because the mammalian sweet-taste receptor is formed by the dimerization of two proteins (T1R2 and T1R3; gene symbols Tas1r2 and Tas1r3, we identified and sequenced both genes in the cat by screening a feline genomic BAC library and by performing PCR with degenerate primers on cat genomic DNA. Gene expression was assessed by RT-PCR of taste tissue, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry. The cat Tas1r3 gene shows high sequence similarity with functional Tas1r3 genes of other species. Message from Tas1r3 was detected by RT-PCR of taste tissue. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical studies demonstrate that Tas1r3 is expressed, as expected, in taste buds. However, the cat Tas1r2 gene shows a 247-base pair microdeletion in exon 3 and stop codons in exons 4 and 6. There was no evidence of detectable mRNA from cat Tas1r2 by RT-PCR or in situ hybridization, and no evidence of protein expression by immunohistochemistry. Tas1r2 in tiger and cheetah and in six healthy adult domestic cats all show the similar deletion and stop codons. We conclude that cat Tas1r3 is an apparently functional and expressed receptor but that cat Tas1r2 is an unexpressed pseudogene. A functional sweet-taste receptor heteromer

The Drosophila gene CG9918 codes for a pyrokinin-1 receptor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cazzamali, Giuseppe; Torp, Malene; Hauser, Frank

2005-01-01

The database from the Drosophila Genome Project contains a gene, CG9918, annotated to code for a G protein-coupled receptor. We cloned the cDNA of this gene and functionally expressed it in Chinese hamster ovary cells. We tested a library of about 25 Drosophila and other insect neuropeptides......, and seven insect biogenic amines on the expressed receptor and found that it was activated by low concentrations of the Drosophila neuropeptide, pyrokinin-1 (TGPSASSGLWFGPRLamide; EC50, 5 x 10(-8) M). The receptor was also activated by other Drosophila neuropeptides, terminating with the sequence PRLamide...... (Hug-gamma, ecdysis-triggering-hormone-1, pyrokinin-2), but in these cases about six to eight times higher concentrations were needed. The receptor was not activated by Drosophila neuropeptides, containing a C-terminal PRIamide sequence (such as ecdysis-triggering-hormone-2), or PRVamide (such as capa...

Androgen Receptor: A Complex Therapeutic Target for Breast Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Narayanan, Ramesh; Dalton, James T.

2016-01-01

Molecular and histopathological profiling have classified breast cancer into multiple sub-types empowering precision treatment. Although estrogen receptor (ER) and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2) are the mainstay therapeutic targets in breast cancer, the androgen receptor (AR) is evolving as a molecular target for cancers that have developed resistance to conventional treatments. The high expression of AR in breast cancer and recent discovery and development of new nonsteroidal drugs targeting the AR provide a strong rationale for exploring it again as a therapeutic target in this disease. Ironically, both nonsteroidal agonists and antagonists for the AR are undergoing clinical trials, making AR a complicated target to understand in breast cancer. This review provides a detailed account of AR’s therapeutic role in breast cancer. PMID:27918430

Androgen Receptor: A Complex Therapeutic Target for Breast Cancer

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Ramesh Narayanan

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Molecular and histopathological profiling have classified breast cancer into multiple sub-types empowering precision treatment. Although estrogen receptor (ER and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2 are the mainstay therapeutic targets in breast cancer, the androgen receptor (AR is evolving as a molecular target for cancers that have developed resistance to conventional treatments. The high expression of AR in breast cancer and recent discovery and development of new nonsteroidal drugs targeting the AR provide a strong rationale for exploring it again as a therapeutic target in this disease. Ironically, both nonsteroidal agonists and antagonists for the AR are undergoing clinical trials, making AR a complicated target to understand in breast cancer. This review provides a detailed account of AR’s therapeutic role in breast cancer.

Systematic study of association of four GABAergic genes: glutamic acid decarboxylase 1 gene, glutamic acid decarboxylase 2 gene, GABA(B) receptor 1 gene and GABA(A) receptor subunit beta2 gene, with schizophrenia using a universal DNA microarray.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xu; Qin, Shengying; Shi, Yongyong; Zhang, Aiping; Zhang, Jing; Bian, Li; Wan, Chunling; Feng, Guoyin; Gu, Niufan; Zhang, Guangqi; He, Guang; He, Lin

2007-07-01

Several studies have suggested the dysfunction of the GABAergic system as a risk factor in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. In the present study, case-control association analysis was conducted in four GABAergic genes: two glutamic acid decarboxylase genes (GAD1 and GAD2), a GABA(A) receptor subunit beta2 gene (GABRB2) and a GABA(B) receptor 1 gene (GABBR1). Using a universal DNA microarray procedure we genotyped a total of 20 SNPs on the above four genes in a study involving 292 patients and 286 controls of Chinese descent. Statistically significant differences were observed in the allelic frequencies of the rs187269C/T polymorphism in the GABRB2 gene (P=0.0450, chi(2)=12.40, OR=1.65) and the -292A/C polymorphism in the GAD1 gene (P=0.0450, chi(2)=14.64 OR=1.77). In addition, using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), we discovered differences in the U251 nuclear protein binding to oligonucleotides representing the -292 SNP on the GAD1 gene, which suggests that the -292C allele has reduced transcription factor binding efficiency compared with the 292A allele. Using the multifactor-dimensionality reduction method (MDR), we found that the interactions among the rs187269C/T polymorphism in the GABRB2 gene, the -243A/G polymorphism in the GAD2 gene and the 27379C/T and 661C/T polymorphisms in the GAD1 gene revealed a significant association with schizophrenia (Pschizophrenia in the Chinese population.

Determinants Present in the Receptor Carboxy Tail Are Responsible for Differences in Subtype-Specific Coupling of β-Adrenergic Receptors to Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase

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Julie Simard

2009-01-01

Full Text Available An agonist-occupied β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR recruits G protein receptor kinase-2 (GRK2 which is recruited to the membrane. Thus, the physical proximity of activated β2-AR and PI-3K allows the activation of the latter. In contrast, it has been observed that the β1-AR is unable to activate the PI-3K/Akt pathway. We hypothesized that the difference might be due to molecular determinants present in the carboxy termini of the two β-AR subtypes. Using transiently transfected HEK 293 cells expressing either β1- or β2-AR, we also observed that in presence of an agonist, β2-AR, but not β1-AR, is able to activate the PI-3K/Akt pathway. Switching the seventh transmembrane domain and the carboxy tail between the two receptors reverses this phenotype; that is, β1×β2-AR can activate the PI-3K/Akt pathway whereas β2×β1-AR cannot. Pretreatment with pertussis toxin abolished the activation of PI-3K by β2- or β1×β2-AR stimulation. Ligand-mediated internalization of the β2-AR induced by a 15-minute stimulation with agonist was abolished in the presence of a dominant negative of PI-3K or following pertussis toxin pretreatment. These results indicate that the subtype-specific differences in the coupling to PI-3K/Akt pathway are due to molecular determinants present in the carboxy tail of the receptor and further that β2-AR activates PI-3K via a pertussis toxin-sensitive mechanism.

Partial androgen insensitivity syndrome due to somatic mosaicism of the androgen receptor.

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Batista, Rafael Loch; Rodrigues, Andresa De Santi; Machado, Aline Zamboni; Nishi, Mirian Yumie; Cunha, Flávia Siqueira; Silva, Rosana Barbosa; Costa, Elaine M F; Mendonca, Berenice B; Domenice, Sorahia

2018-01-26

Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) is the most frequent etiology of 46,XY disorders of sex development (DSDs), and it is an X-linked disorder caused by mutations in the androgen receptor (AR) gene. AIS patients present a broad phenotypic spectrum and individuals with a partial phenotype present with different degrees of undervirilized external genitalia. There are more than 500 different AR gene allelic variants reported to be linked to AIS, but the presence of somatic mosaicisms has been rarely identified. In the presence of a wild-type AR gene, a significant degree of spontaneous virilization at puberty can be observed, and it could influence the gender assignment, genetic counseling and the clinical and psychological management of these patients and the psychosexual outcomes of these patients are not known. In this study, we report two patients with AR allelic variants in heterozygous (c.382G>T and c.1769-1G>C) causing a partial AIS (PAIS) phenotype. The first patient was raised as female and she had undergone a gonadectomy at puberty. In both patients there was congruency between gender of rearing and gender identity and gender role. Somatic mosaicism is rare in AIS and nonsense AR variant allelic can cause partial AIS phenotype in this situation. Despite the risk of virilization and prenatal androgen exposure, the gender identity and gender role was concordant with sex of rearing in both cases. A better testosterone response can be expected in male individuals and this should be considered in the clinical management.

LncRNA HOTAIR Enhances the Androgen-Receptor-Mediated Transcriptional Program and Drives Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

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Ali Zhang

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Understanding the mechanisms of androgen receptor (AR activation in the milieu of low androgen is critical to effective treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC. Here, we report HOTAIR as an androgen-repressed lncRNA, and, as such, it is markedly upregulated following androgen deprivation therapies and in CRPC. We further demonstrate a distinct mode of lncRNA-mediated gene regulation, wherein HOTAIR binds to the AR protein to block its interaction with the E3 ubiquitin ligase MDM2, thereby preventing AR ubiquitination and protein degradation. Consequently, HOTAIR expression is sufficient to induce androgen-independent AR activation and drive the AR-mediated transcriptional program in the absence of androgen. Functionally, HOTAIR overexpression increases, whereas HOTAIR knockdown decreases, prostate cancer cell growth and invasion. Taken together, our results provide compelling evidence of lncRNAs as drivers of androgen-independent AR activity and CRPC progression, and they support the potential of lncRNAs as therapeutic targets.

Variations in testosterone pathway genes and susceptibility to testicular cancer in Norwegian men.

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Kristiansen, W; Aschim, E L; Andersen, J M; Witczak, O; Fosså, S D; Haugen, T B

2012-12-01

Imbalance between the oestrogen and androgen levels in utero is hypothesized to influence testicular cancer (TC) risk. Thus, variation in genes involved in the action of sex hormones may contribute to variability of an individual's susceptibility to TC. Mutations in testosterone pathway genes may alter the level of testosterone in vivo and hypothetically the risk of developing TC. Luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR), 5α-reductase II (SRD5A2) and androgen receptor (AR) are key elements in androgen action. A case-control study comprising 651 TC cases and 313 controls in a Norwegian population was conducted for investigation of polymorphisms in the LHR, SRD5A and AR genes and their possible association with TC. A statistical significant difference was observed in patients being heterozygous for the LHR Asn312Ser polymorphism when comparing genotypes between all TC cases and controls (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.48-0.89, p(adj) = 0.049). No statistically significant difference between the histological subtypes seminoma and non-seminoma was observed. Our results may suggest a possible association between genetic variation in the LHR gene and the risk of developing TC. © 2012 The Authors. International Journal of Andrology © 2012 European Academy of Andrology.

FCRL3 gene polymorphisms confer autoimmunity risk for allergic rhinitis in a Chinese Han population.

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Zheng Gu

Full Text Available Heredity and environmental exposures may contribute to a predisposition to allergic rhinitis (AR. Autoimmunity may also involve into this pathologic process. FCRL3 (Fc receptor-like 3 gene, a novel immunoregulatory gene, has recently been reported to play a role in autoimmune diseases.This study was performed to evaluate the potential association of FCRL3 polymorphisms with AR in a Chinese Han population.Five single-nucleotide polymorphisms of FCRL3, rs945635, rs3761959, rs7522061, rs10489678 and rs7528684 were genotyped in 540 AR patients and 600 healthy controls using a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. Allele, genotype and haplotype frequencies were compared between patients and controls using the χ2 test. The online software platform SHEsis was used to analyze their haplotypes.This study identified three strong risk SNPs rs7528684, rs10489678, rs7522061 and one weak risk SNP rs945635 of FCRL3 in Chinese Han AR patients. For rs7528684, a significantly increased prevalence of the AA genotype and A allele in AR patients was recorded. The frequency of the GG genotype and G allele of rs10489678 was markedly higher in AR patients than those in controls. For rs7522061, a higher frequency of the TT genotype, and a lower frequency of the CT genotype were found in AR patients. Concerning rs945635, a lower frequency of the CC genotype, and a higher frequency of G allele were observed in AR patients. According to the analysis of the three strong positive SNPs, the haplotype of AGT increased significantly in AR cases (AR = 38.8%, Controls = 24.3%, P = 8.29 × 10(-14, OR [95% CI] 1.978 [1.652~2.368].This study found a significant association between the SNPs in FCRL3 gene and AR in Chinese Han patients. The results suggest these gene polymorphisms might be the autoimmunity risk for AR.

Synthesis and SAR study of a novel series of dopamine receptor agonists

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Risgaard, R.; Jensen, M.; Jørgensen, M.

2014-01-01

The synthesis of a novel series of dopamine receptor agonists are described as well as their in vitro potency and efficacy on dopamine D and D receptors. This series was designed from pergolide and (4aR,10aR)-1-propyl-1,2,3,4,4a,5,10,10a-octahydro-benzo[g]quinolin-6-ol (PHBQ) and resulted in the ...... in the synthesis of (2R,4aR,10aR)-2-methylsulfanylmethyl-4-propyl-3,4,4a,5,10,10a-hexahydro-2H-naphtho[2,3-b][1,4]oxazin-9-ol (compound 27), which has a D and D receptor profile similar to that of the most recently approved drug for Parkinson's disease, rotigotine.......The synthesis of a novel series of dopamine receptor agonists are described as well as their in vitro potency and efficacy on dopamine D and D receptors. This series was designed from pergolide and (4aR,10aR)-1-propyl-1,2,3,4,4a,5,10,10a-octahydro-benzo[g]quinolin-6-ol (PHBQ) and resulted...

Common ADRB2 haplotypes derived from 26 polymorphic sites direct beta2-adrenergic receptor expression and regulation phenotypes.

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Alfredo Panebra

2010-07-01

Full Text Available The beta2-adrenergic receptor (beta2AR is expressed on numerous cell-types including airway smooth muscle cells and cardiomyocytes. Drugs (agonists or antagonists acting at these receptors for treatment of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and heart failure show substantial interindividual variability in response. The ADRB2 gene is polymorphic in noncoding and coding regions, but virtually all ADRB2 association studies have utilized the two common nonsynonymous coding SNPs, often reaching discrepant conclusions.We constructed the 8 common ADRB2 haplotypes derived from 26 polymorphisms in the promoter, 5'UTR, coding, and 3'UTR of the intronless ADRB2 gene. These were cloned into an expression construct lacking a vector-based promoter, so that beta2AR expression was driven by its promoter, and steady state expression could be modified by polymorphisms throughout ADRB2 within a haplotype. "Whole-gene" transfections were performed with COS-7 cells and revealed 4 haplotypes with increased cell surface beta2AR protein expression compared to the others. Agonist-promoted downregulation of beta2AR protein expression was also haplotype-dependent, and was found to be increased for 2 haplotypes. A phylogenetic tree of the haplotypes was derived and annotated by cellular phenotypes, revealing a pattern potentially driven by expression.Thus for obstructive lung disease, the initial bronchodilator response from intermittent administration of beta-agonist may be influenced by certain beta2AR haplotypes (expression phenotypes, while other haplotypes may influence tachyphylaxis during the response to chronic therapy (downregulation phenotypes. An ideal clinical outcome of high expression and less downregulation was found for two haplotypes. Haplotypes may also affect heart failure antagonist therapy, where beta2AR increase inotropy and are anti-apoptotic. The haplotype-specific expression and regulation phenotypes found in this transfection

Identifying polymorphisms in the Rattus norvegicus D3 dopamine receptor gene and regulatory region

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smits, B.M.; D'Souza, U.M.; Berezikov, E.; Cuppen, E.; Sluyter, F.

2004-01-01

The D(3) dopamine receptor has been implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease and addiction. Sequence variation in the D(3) gene can lead to subtle alteration in receptor structure or gene expression and thus to a different phenotype. In this

Molecular chaperones enhance the degradation of expanded polyglutamine repeat androgen receptor in a cellular model of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bailey, CK; Andriola, IFM; Kampinga, HH; Merry, DE

2002-01-01

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is one of a growing number of neurodegenerative diseases caused by a polyglutamine-encoding CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion, and is caused by an expansion within exon 1 of the androgen receptor (AR) gene. The family of polyglutamine diseases is

The role of the AR/ER ratio in ER-positive breast cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Rangel, Nelson; Rondon-Lagos, Milena; Annaratone, Laura; Osella-Abate, Simona; Metovic, Jasna; Mano, Maria Piera; Bertero, Luca; Cassoni, Paola; Sapino, Anna; Castellano, Isabella

2018-03-01

The significance of androgen receptor (AR) in breast cancer (BC) management is not fully defined, and it is still ambiguous how the level of AR expression influences oestrogen receptor-positive (ER+) tumours. The aim of the present study was to analyse the prognostic impact of AR/ER ratio, evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC), correlating this value with clinical, pathological and molecular characteristics. We retrospectively selected a cohort of 402 ER+BC patients. On each tumour, IHC analyses for AR, ER, PgR, HER2 and Ki67 were performed and AR+ cases were used to calculate the AR/ER value. A cut-off of ≥2 was selected using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. RNA from 19 cases with AR/ER≥2 was extracted and used for Prosigna-PAM50 assays. Tumours with AR/ER≥2 (6%) showed more frequent metastatic lymph nodes, larger size, higher histological grade and lower PgR levels than cases with AR/ERAR/ER≥2 had worse disease-free interval (DFI) and disease-specific survival (DSS) (hazard ratios (HR) = 4.96 for DFI and HR = 8.69 for DSS, both P  ≤ 0.004). According to the Prosigna-PAM50 assay, 63% (12/19) of these cases resulted in intermediate or high risk of recurrence categories. Additionally, although all samples were positive for ER assessed by IHC, the molecular test assigned 47.4% (9/19) of BCs to intrinsic non-luminal subtypes. In conclusion, the AR/ER ratio ≥2 identifies a subgroup of patients with aggressive biological features and may represent an additional independent marker of worse BC prognosis. Moreover, the Prosigna-PAM50 results indicate that a significant number of cases with AR/ER≥2 could be non-luminal tumours. © 2018 Society for Endocrinology.

Small angle Ar2+ + Ar collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevens, J.J.

1983-01-01

Electron capture in Ar 2+ + Ar is studied at low keV energies. Using Ar 2+ + He collisions as a calibration, it is shown that the dominant single electron capture process is endothermic and of the type Ar 2+ ( 3 P) + Ar → Ar + ( 2 P) + Ar + (3s 2 3p 4 nI), with nI primarily being 3d and 4p. Weaker exothermic processes are also found and are due mainly to the existence of long-lived highly-excited states in the incident Ar 2+ beam. The direct scattering and double electron capture processes are also studied. Direct scattering occurs with no target excitation. Differential cross sections are presented for the collision processes. The single electron capture results are interpreted using a simple model in which a strongly attractive intermediate state couples with incident and outgoing channels

T-cell receptor gene rearrangement in Epstein-Barr virus infectious mononucleosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Marbello, L; Riva, M; Veronese, S; Nosari, A M; Ravano, E; Colosimo, A; Paris, L; Morra, E

2012-09-01

This report describes the case of a previously healthy young man who presented with fever, pharyngitis, cervical lymphadenopathy, lymphocytosis, and severe thrombocytopenia. Serological tests for Epstein-Barr virus were diagnostic of a primary Epstein-Barr virus infectious mononucleosis but severe thrombocytopenia aroused the suspicion of a lymphoproliferative disease. T-cell receptor gene analysis performed on peripheral and bone marrow blood revealed a T-cell receptor γ-chain rearrangement without the evidence of malignancy using standard histologic and immunophenotype studies. Signs and symptoms of the infectious disease, blood count, and T-cell receptor gene rearrangement resolved with observation without the evidence of emergence of a lymphoproliferative disease. In the contest of a suspected lymphoproliferative disease, molecular results should be integrated with all available data for an appropriate diagnosis.

Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPCa) increased the neighboring PCa chemo-resistance via altering the PTHrP/p38/Hsp27/androgen receptor (AR)/p21 signals

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Yun; Sun, Yin; Hu, Shuai; Luo, Jie; Li, Lei; Li, Xin; Yeh, Shuyuan; Jin, Jie; Chang, Chawnshang

2016-01-01

Prostatic neuroendocrine cells (NE) are an integral part of prostate cancer (PCa) that are associated with PCa progression. As the current androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) with anti-androgens may promote the neuroendocrine PCa (NEPCa) development, and few therapies can effectively suppress NEPCa, understanding the impact of NEPCa on PCa progression may help us to develop better therapies to battle PCa. Here we found NEPCa cells could increase the docetaxel-resistance of their neighboring PCa cells. Mechanism dissection revealed that through secretion of PTHrP, NEPCa cells could alter the p38/MAPK/Hsp27 signals in their neighboring PCa cells that resulted in increased androgen receptor (AR) activity via promoting AR nuclear translocation. The consequences of increased AR function might then increase docetaxel-resistance via increasing p21 expression. In vivo xenograft mice experiments also confirmed NEPCa could increase the docetaxel-resistance of neighboring PCa, and targeting this newly identified PTHrP/p38/Hsp27/AR/p21 signaling pathway with either p38 inhibitor (SB203580) or sh-PTHrP may result in improving/restoring the docetaxel sensitivity to better suppress PCa. PMID:27375022

Dopamine Receptor Genes Modulate Associative Memory in Old Age.

Science.gov (United States)

Papenberg, Goran; Becker, Nina; Ferencz, Beata; Naveh-Benjamin, Moshe; Laukka, Erika J; Bäckman, Lars; Brehmer, Yvonne

2017-02-01

Previous research shows that associative memory declines more than item memory in aging. Although the underlying mechanisms of this selective impairment remain poorly understood, animal and human data suggest that dopaminergic modulation may be particularly relevant for associative binding. We investigated the influence of dopamine (DA) receptor genes on item and associative memory in a population-based sample of older adults (n = 525, aged 60 years), assessed with a face-scene item associative memory task. The effects of single-nucleotide polymorphisms of DA D1 (DRD1; rs4532), D2 (DRD2/ANKK1/Taq1A; rs1800497), and D3 (DRD3/Ser9Gly; rs6280) receptor genes were examined and combined into a single genetic score. Individuals carrying more beneficial alleles, presumably associated with higher DA receptor efficacy (DRD1 C allele; DRD2 A2 allele; DRD3 T allele), performed better on associative memory than persons with less beneficial genotypes. There were no effects of these genes on item memory or other cognitive measures, such as working memory, executive functioning, fluency, and perceptual speed, indicating a selective association between DA genes and associative memory. By contrast, genetic risk for Alzheimer disease (AD) was associated with worse item and associative memory, indicating adverse effects of APOE ε4 and a genetic risk score for AD (PICALM, BIN1, CLU) on episodic memory in general. Taken together, our results suggest that DA may be particularly important for associative memory, whereas AD-related genetic variations may influence overall episodic memory in older adults without dementia.

Deficits in LTP induction by 5-HT2A receptor antagonist in a mouse model for fragile X syndrome.

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Zhao-hui Xu

Full Text Available Fragile X syndrome is a common inherited form of mental retardation caused by the lack of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP because of Fmr1 gene silencing. Serotonin (5-HT is significantly increased in the null mutants of Drosophila Fmr1, and elevated 5-HT brain levels result in cognitive and behavioral deficits in human patients. The serotonin type 2A receptor (5-HT2AR is highly expressed in the cerebral cortex; it acts on pyramidal cells and GABAergic interneurons to modulate cortical functions. 5-HT2AR and FMRP both regulate synaptic plasticity. Therefore, the lack of FMRP may affect serotoninergic activity. In this study, we determined the involvement of FMRP in the 5-HT modulation of synaptic potentiation with the use of primary cortical neuron culture and brain slice recording. Pharmacological inhibition of 5-HT2AR by R-96544 or ketanserin facilitated long-term potentiation (LTP in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC of WT mice. The prefrontal LTP induction was dependent on the activation of NMDARs and elevation of postsynaptic Ca(2+ concentrations. By contrast, inhibition of 5-HT2AR could not restore the induction of LTP in the ACC of Fmr1 knock-out mice. Furthermore, 5-HT2AR inhibition induced AMPA receptor GluR1 subtype surface insertion in the cultured ACC neurons of Fmr1 WT mice, however, GluR1 surface insertion by inhibition of 5-HT2AR was impaired in the neurons of Fmr1KO mice. These findings suggested that FMRP was involved in serotonin receptor signaling and contributed in GluR1 surface expression induced by 5-HT2AR inactivation.

Antiproliferation effects of an androgen receptor triple-helix forming oligonucleotide on prostate cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yong; Chen Weizhen; Xie Yao; Gao Jinhui

2005-01-01

Objective: To provide experimental basis for antigene radiation therapy through exploring the effects of antigene strategy on androgen receptor (AR) expression and proliferation of prostate cancer cells. Methods: The triple-helix forming oligonucleotide (TFO) targeting 2447-2461nt of AR cDNA was designed and transfected LNCaP prostate cancer cells with liposome. 24-72 h after transfection, the cellular proliferation was detected by 3 H-thymidine (TdR) incorporation test, the expression of AR gene was examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and expression of AR protein was performed by radioligand binding assay. The results of TFO were compared with antisense oligonucleotide (ASON). Results: At all time points, the AR expression levels in TFO group were markedly lower than that of ASON group (P<0.05). The inhibitory rate of TFO for cellular proliferation was significantly higher than that of ASON (P<0.05). Conclusion: The TFO was a potent inhibitor for AR expression and cell proliferation of LNCaP cells , and could be used in antigene radiotherapy. (authors)

Converging evidence for the association of functional genetic variation in the serotonin receptor 2a gene with prefrontal function and olanzapine treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Blasi, Giuseppe; De Virgilio, Caterina; Papazacharias, Apostolos; Taurisano, Paolo; Gelao, Barbara; Fazio, Leonardo; Ursini, Gianluca; Sinibaldi, Lorenzo; Andriola, Ileana; Masellis, Rita; Romano, Raffaella; Rampino, Antonio; Di Giorgio, Annabella; Lo Bianco, Luciana; Caforio, Grazia; Piva, Francesco; Popolizio, Teresa; Bellantuono, Cesario; Todarello, Orlando; Kleinman, Joel E; Gadaleta, Gemma; Weinberger, Daniel R; Bertolino, Alessandro

2013-09-01

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) receptor 2a (5-HT2AR) signaling is important for modulation of corticostriatal pathways and prefrontal activity during cognition. Furthermore, newer antipsychotic drugs target 5-HT2AR. A single-nucleotide polymorphism in the 5-HT2AR gene (HTR2A rs6314, C>T; OMIM 182135) has been weakly associated with differential 5-HT2AR signaling and with physiologic as well as behavioral effects. To use a hierarchical approach to determine the functional effects of this single-nucleotide polymorphism on 5-HT2AR messenger RNA and protein expression, on prefrontal phenotypes linked with genetic risk for schizophrenia, and on treatment with olanzapine. In silico predictions, in vitro, and case-control investigations. Academic and clinical facilities. The postmortem study included 112 brains from healthy individuals; the in vivo investigation included a total sample of 371 healthy individuals and patients with schizophrenia. EXPOSURES Patients received olanzapine monotherapy for 8 weeks. In silico predictions, messenger RNA, and protein expression in postmortem human prefrontal cortex and HeLa cells, functional magnetic resonance imaging prefrontal activity and behavior during working memory and attention in healthy individuals, and response to an 8-week trial of olanzapine treatment in patients with schizophrenia. Bioinformatic analysis predicted that rs6314 alters patterns of splicing, with possible effects on HTR2A expression. Moreover, the T allele was associated with reduced prefrontal messenger RNA expression in postmortem prefrontal cortex, with reduced protein expression in vitro, inefficient prefrontal blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging response during working memory and attentional control processing, and impaired working memory and attention behavior, as well as with attenuated improvement in negative symptoms after olanzapine treatment. Our results suggest that HTR2A rs6314 affects 5-HT2AR expression and

Control of Transcriptional Repression of the Vitellogenin Receptor Gene in Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides) by Select Estrogen Receptors Isotypes

OpenAIRE

Dominguez, Gustavo A.; Bisesi, Joseph H.; Kroll, Kevin J.; Denslow, Nancy D.; Sabo-Attwood, Tara

2014-01-01

The vitellogenin receptor (Vtgr) plays an important role in fish reproduction. This receptor functions to incorporate vitellogenin (Vtg), a macromolecule synthesized and released from the liver in the bloodstream, into oocytes where it is processed into yolk. Although studies have focused on the functional role of Vtgr in fish, the mechanistic control of this gene is still unexplored. Here we report the identification and analysis of the first piscine 5′ regulatory region of the vtgr gene whi...

Silencing neuronal mutant androgen receptor in a mouse model of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy.

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Sahashi, Kentaro; Katsuno, Masahisa; Hung, Gene; Adachi, Hiroaki; Kondo, Naohide; Nakatsuji, Hideaki; Tohnai, Genki; Iida, Madoka; Bennett, C Frank; Sobue, Gen

2015-11-01

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), an adult-onset neurodegenerative disease that affects males, results from a CAG triplet repeat/polyglutamine expansions in the androgen receptor (AR) gene. Patients develop progressive muscular weakness and atrophy, and no effective therapy is currently available. The tissue-specific pathogenesis, especially relative pathological contributions between degenerative motor neurons and muscles, remains inconclusive. Though peripheral pathology in skeletal muscle caused by toxic AR protein has been recently reported to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of SBMA using mouse models, the role of motor neuron degeneration in SBMA has not been rigorously investigated. Here, we exploited synthetic antisense oligonucleotides to inhibit the RNA levels of mutant AR in the central nervous system (CNS) and explore its therapeutic effects in our SBMA mouse model that harbors a mutant AR gene with 97 CAG expansions and characteristic SBMA-like neurogenic phenotypes. A single intracerebroventricular administration of the antisense oligonucleotides in the presymptomatic phase efficiently suppressed the mutant gene expression in the CNS, and delayed the onset and progression of motor dysfunction, improved body weight gain and survival with the amelioration of neuronal histopathology in motor units such as spinal motor neurons, neuromuscular junctions and skeletal muscle. These findings highlight the importance of the neurotoxicity of mutant AR protein in motor neurons as a therapeutic target. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The role of androgen receptor activity mediated by the CAG repeat polymorphism in the pathogenesis of PCOS.

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Baculescu, N

2013-03-15

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), one of the most common and complex endocrine disorders affecting up to 15 % of reproductive age women, is considered a predominantly hyperandrogenic syndrome according to the Androgen Excess Society. It is generally accepted that androgens determine the characteristic features of PCOS; in this context, a hyperactive androgen receptor (AR) at the levels of the GnRH pulse generator in the hypothalamus and at the granulosa cells in the ovary, skeletal muscle or adipocytes senses initially normal testosterone and dihydrotestosterone as biochemical hyperandrogenism and might be a crucial connection between the vicious circles of the PCOS pathogenesis. Polymorphism of the AR gene has been associated with different androgen pattern diseases. Several studies have demonstrated an association between AR with increased activity encoded by shorter CAG repeat polymorphism in the exon 1 of the AR gene and PCOS, although there are conflicting results in this field. The phenomenon is more complex because the AR activity is determined by the epigenetic effect of X chromosome inactivation (XCI). Moreover, we must evaluate the AR as a dynamic heterocomplex, with a large number of coactivators and corepressors that are essential to its function, thus mediating tissue-specific effects. In theory, any of these factors could modify the activity of AR, which likely explains the inconsistent results obtained when this activity was quantified by only the CAG polymorphism in PCOS.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF 5αα-REDUCTASE AND ANDROGEN RECEPTOR GENE POLYMORPHISMS IN PROSTATE CANCER

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O. B. Loran

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The development of prostate cancer is inseparably linked with the effect of androgens on the fundamental prostatic intracellular processes,such as proliferation, apoptosis, which is realized through a number of second messengers. Major of them are the AR gene encoding androgenreceptors and the SRD5A2 gene encoding 5α-reductase enzyme. This paper deals with the study of the role of these genes in prostate cancer.  

Adenosine receptors and muscarinic receptors cooperate in acetylcholine release modulation in the neuromuscular synapse.

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Santafe, M M; Priego, M; Obis, T; Garcia, N; Tomàs, M; Lanuza, M A; Tomàs, J

2015-07-01

Adenosine receptors (ARs) are present in the motor terminals at the mouse neuromuscular junction. ARs and the presynaptic muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) share the functional control of the neuromuscular junction. We analysed their mutual interaction in transmitter release modulation. In electrophysiological experiments with unaltered synaptic transmission (muscles paralysed by blocking the voltage-dependent sodium channel of the muscle cells with μ-conotoxin GIIIB), we found that: (i) a collaborative action between different AR subtypes reduced synaptic depression at a moderate activity level (40 Hz); (ii) at high activity levels (100 Hz), endogenous adenosine production in the synaptic cleft was sufficient to reduce depression through A1 -type receptors (A1 Rs) and A2 A-type receptors (A2 A Rs); (iii) when the non-metabolizable 2-chloroadenosine (CADO) agonist was used, both the quantal content and depression were reduced; (iv) the protective effect of CADO on depression was mediated by A1 Rs, whereas A2 A Rs seemed to modulate A1 Rs; (v) ARs and mAChRs absolutely depended upon each other for the modulation of evoked and spontaneous acetylcholine release in basal conditions and in experimental conditions with CADO stimulation; (vi) the purinergic and muscarinic mechanisms cooperated in the control of depression by sharing a common pathway although the purinergic control was more powerful than the muscarinic control; and (vii) the imbalance of the ARs created by using subtype-selective and non-selective inhibitory and stimulatory agents uncoupled protein kinase C from evoked transmitter release. In summary, ARs (A1 Rs, A2 A Rs) and mAChRs (M1 , M2 ) cooperated in the control of activity-dependent synaptic depression and may share a common protein kinase C pathway. © 2015 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Shorter CAG repeat length in the AR gene is associated with poor outcome in head and neck cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosa, Fabíola Encinas; dos Santos, Rodrigo Mattos; Poli-Frederico, Regina Célia

2007-01-01

microsatellite instability (MSI) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in these tumors. DESIGN: Matched samples of blood and head and neck tumors were evaluated using two methodologies, silver-stained gels to perform the analyses of MSI and LOH, and automated analysis to confirm these results and for genotyping...... of the AR [CAG](n) repeat length. Sixty-nine individuals without cancer were used as a control group for both procedures. The Log-rank test was used to compare overall survival and disease-free survival curves. The Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed to determine the [CAG](n) repeats......: These results suggest that short [CAG](n) repeat length (poor prognosis in a subset of male patients with head and neck cancer and that AR gene microsatellite instability is uncommon in these tumors....

Concomitant duplications of opioid peptide and receptor genes before the origin of jawed vertebrates.

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Görel Sundström

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The opioid system is involved in reward and pain mechanisms and consists in mammals of four receptors and several peptides. The peptides are derived from four prepropeptide genes, PENK, PDYN, PNOC and POMC, encoding enkephalins, dynorphins, orphanin/nociceptin and beta-endorphin, respectively. Previously we have described how two rounds of genome doubling (2R before the origin of jawed vertebrates formed the receptor family. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Opioid peptide gene family members were investigated using a combination of sequence-based phylogeny and chromosomal locations of the peptide genes in various vertebrates. Several adjacent gene families were investigated similarly. The results show that the ancestral peptide gene gave rise to two additional copies in the genome doublings. The fourth member was generated by a local gene duplication, as the genes encoding POMC and PNOC are located on the same chromosome in the chicken genome and all three teleost genomes that we have studied. A translocation has disrupted this synteny in mammals. The PDYN gene seems to have been lost in chicken, but not in zebra finch. Duplicates of some peptide genes have arisen in the teleost fishes. Within the prepropeptide precursors, peptides have been lost or gained in different lineages. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The ancestral peptide and receptor genes were located on the same chromosome and were thus duplicated concomitantly. However, subsequently genetic linkage has been lost. In conclusion, the system of opioid peptides and receptors was largely formed by the genome doublings that took place early in vertebrate evolution.

A young root-specific gene (ArMY2) from horseradish encoding a MYR II myrosinase with kinetic preference for the root-specific glucosinolate gluconasturtiin.

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Loebers, Andreas; Müller-Uri, Frieder; Kreis, Wolfgang

2014-03-01

The pungent taste of horseradish is caused by isothiocyanates which are released from glucosinolates by myrosinases. These enzymes are encoded by genes belonging to one of two subfamilies, termed MYR I and MYR II, respectively. A MYR II-type myrosinase gene was identified for the first time in horseradish. The gene termed ArMY2 was only expressed in young roots. A full-length cDNA encoding a myrosinase termed ArMy2 was isolated and heterologously expressed in Pichia pastoris. The recombinant His-tagged enzyme was characterized biochemically. Substrate affinity was 5 times higher towards gluconasturtiin than towards sinigrin. Gluconasturtiin was found to be the most abundant glucosinolate in young horseradish roots while sinigrin dominated in storage roots and leaves. This indicates that a specialized glucosinolate-myrosinase defense system might be active in young roots. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification of excess 40Ar by the 40Ar/39Ar age spectrum technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lanphere, M.A.; Dalrymple, G.B.

1976-01-01

40 Ar/ 39 Ar incremental heating experiments on igneous plagioclase, biotite, and pyroxene that contain known amounts of excess 40 Ar indicate that saddle-shaped age spectra are diagnostic of excess 40 Ar in igneous minerals as well as in igneous rocks. The minima in the age spectra approach but do not reach the crystallization age. Neither the age spectrum diagram nor the 40 Ar/ 36 Ar versus 39 Ar/ 36 Ar isochron diagram reliably reveal the crystallization age in such samples. (Auth.)

Functional somatostatin receptors on a rat pancreatic acinar cell line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viguerie, N.; Tahiri-Jouti, N.; Esteve, J.P.; Clerc, P.; Logsdon, C.; Svoboda, M.; Susini, C.; Vaysse, N.; Ribet, A.

1988-01-01

Somatostatin receptors from a rat pancreatic acinar cell line, AR4-2J, were characterized biochemically, structurally, and functionally. Binding of 125 I-[Tyr 11 ]Somatostatin to AR4-2J cells was saturable, exhibiting a single class of high-affinity binding sites with a maximal binding capacity of 258 ± 20 fmol/10 6 cells. Somatostatin receptor structure was analyzed by covalently cross-linking 125 I-[Tyr 11 ]somatostatin to its plasma membrane receptors. Gel electrophoresis and autoradiography of cross-linked proteins revealed a peptide containing the somatostatin receptor. Somatostatin inhibited vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-stimulated adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) formation in a dose-dependent manner. The concentration of somatostatin that caused half-maximal inhibition of cAMP formation was close to the receptor affinity for somatostatin. Pertussis toxin pretreatment of AR4-2J cells prevented somatostatin inhibition of VIP-stimulated cAMP formation as well as somatostatin binding. The authors conclude that AR4-2J cells exhibit functional somatostatin receptors that retain both specificity and affinity of the pancreatic acinar cell somatostatin receptors and act via the pertussis toxin-sensitive guanine nucleotide-binding protein N i to inhibit adenylate cyclase

The dopamine D2 receptor gene, perceived parental support, and adolescent loneliness : longitudinal evidence for gene-environment interactions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Roekel, Eeske; Goossens, Luc; Scholte, Ron H. J.; Engels, Rutger C. M. E.; Verhagen, Maaike

2011-01-01

Background: Loneliness is a common problem in adolescence. Earlier research focused on genes within the serotonin and oxytocin systems, but no studies have examined the role of dopamine-related genes in loneliness. In the present study, we focused on the dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2). Methods:

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 functions as an epigenetic activator of the androgen receptor to promote prostate cancer cell growth.

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Deng, X; Shao, G; Zhang, H-T; Li, C; Zhang, D; Cheng, L; Elzey, B D; Pili, R; Ratliff, T L; Huang, J; Hu, C-D

2017-03-02

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) is an emerging epigenetic enzyme that mainly represses transcription of target genes via symmetric dimethylation of arginine residues on histones H4R3, H3R8 and H2AR3. Accumulating evidence suggests that PRMT5 may function as an oncogene to drive cancer cell growth by epigenetic inactivation of several tumor suppressors. Here, we provide evidence that PRMT5 promotes prostate cancer cell growth by epigenetically activating transcription of the androgen receptor (AR) in prostate cancer cells. Knockdown of PRMT5 or inhibition of PRMT5 by a specific inhibitor reduces the expression of AR and suppresses the growth of multiple AR-positive, but not AR-negative, prostate cancer cells. Significantly, knockdown of PRMT5 in AR-positive LNCaP cells completely suppresses the growth of xenograft tumors in mice. Molecular analysis reveals that PRMT5 binds to the proximal promoter region of the AR gene and contributes mainly to the enriched symmetric dimethylation of H4R3 in the same region. Mechanistically, PRMT5 is recruited to the AR promoter by its interaction with Sp1, the major transcription factor responsible for AR transcription, and forms a complex with Brg1, an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler, on the proximal promoter region of the AR gene. Furthermore, PRMT5 expression in prostate cancer tissues is significantly higher than that in benign prostatic hyperplasia tissues, and PRMT5 expression correlates positively with AR expression at both the protein and mRNA levels. Taken together, our results identify PRMT5 as a novel epigenetic activator of AR in prostate cancer. Given that inhibiting AR transcriptional activity or androgen synthesis remains the major mechanism of action for most existing anti-androgen agents, our findings also raise an interesting possibility that targeting PRMT5 may represent a novel approach for prostate cancer treatment by eliminating AR expression.

Increased hypothalamic 5-HT2A receptor gene expression and effects of pharmacologic 5-HT2A receptor inactivation in obese Ay mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nonogaki, Katsunori; Nozue, Kana; Oka, Yoshitomo

2006-01-01

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) 2A receptors contribute to the effects of 5-HT on platelet aggregation and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, and are reportedly involved in decreases in plasma levels of adiponectin, an adipokine, in diabetic subjects. Here, we report that systemic administration of sarpogrelate, a 5-HT2A receptor antagonist, suppressed appetite and increased hypothalamic pro-opiomelanocortin and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript, corticotropin releasing hormone, 5-HT2C, and 5-HT1B receptor gene expression. A y mice, which have ectopic expression of the agouti protein, significantly increased hypothalamic 5-HT2A receptor gene expression in association with obesity compared with wild-type mice matched for age. Systemic administration of sarpogrelate suppressed overfeeding, body weight gain, and hyperglycemia in obese A y mice, whereas it did not increase plasma adiponectin levels. These results suggest that obesity increases hypothalamic 5-HT2A receptor gene expression, and pharmacologic inactivation of 5-HT2A receptors inhibits overfeeding and obesity in A y mice, but did not increase plasma adiponectin levels

Currently used pesticides and their mixtures affect the function of sex hormone receptors and aromatase enzyme activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kjeldsen, Lisbeth Stigaard; Ghisari, Mandana; Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Eva Cecilie, E-mail: ebj@mil.au.dk

2013-10-15

The endocrine-disrupting potential of pesticides is of health concern, since they are found ubiquitously in the environment and in food items. We investigated in vitro effects on estrogen receptor (ER) and androgen receptor (AR) transactivity, and aromatase enzyme activity, of the following pesticides: 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA), terbuthylazine, iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium, mesosulfuron-methyl, metsulfuron-methyl, chlormequat chloride, bitertanol, propiconazole, prothioconazole, mancozeb, cypermethrin, tau fluvalinate, malathion and the metabolite ethylene thiourea (ETU). The pesticides were analyzed alone and in selected mixtures. Effects of the pesticides on ER and AR function were assessed in human breast carcinoma MVLN cells and hamster ovary CHO-K1 cells, respectively, using luciferase reporter gene assays. Effects on aromatase enzyme activity were analyzed in human choriocarcinoma JEG-3 cells, employing the classical [{sup 3}H]{sub 2}O method. Five pesticides (terbuthylazine, propiconazole, prothioconazole, cypermethrin and malathion) weakly induced the ER transactivity, and three pesticides (bitertanol, propiconazole and mancozeb) antagonized the AR activity in a concentration-dependent manner. Three pesticides (terbuthylazine, propiconazole and prothioconazole) weakly induced the aromatase activity. In addition, two mixtures, consisting of three pesticides (bitertanol, propiconazole, cypermethrin) and five pesticides (terbuthylazine, bitertanol, propiconazole, cypermethrin, malathion), respectively, induced the ER transactivity and aromatase activity, and additively antagonized the AR transactivity. In conclusion, our data suggest that currently used pesticides possess endocrine-disrupting potential in vitro which can be mediated via ER, AR and aromatase activities. The observed mixture effects emphasize the importance of considering the combined action of pesticides in order to assure proper estimations of related health effect risks

Androgen Receptor Antagonism By Divalent Ethisterone Conjugates In Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer Cells

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Levine, Paul M.; Lee, Eugine; Greenfield, Alex; Bonneau, Richard; Logan, Susan K.; Garabedian, Michael J.; Kirshenbaum, Kent

2013-01-01

Sustained treatment of prostate cancer with Androgen Receptor (AR) antagonists can evoke drug resistance, leading to castrate-resistant disease. Elevated activity of the AR is often associated with this highly aggressive disease state. Therefore, new therapeutic regimens that target and modulate AR activity could prove beneficial. We previously introduced a versatile chemical platform to generate competitive and non-competitive multivalent peptoid oligomer conjugates that modulate AR activity. In particular, we identified a linear and a cyclic divalent ethisterone conjugate that exhibit potent anti-proliferative properties in LNCaP-abl cells, a model of castrate-resistant prostate cancer. Here, we characterize the mechanism of action of these compounds utilizing confocal microscopy, time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer, chromatin immunoprecipitation, flow cytometry, and microarray analysis. The linear conjugate competitively blocks AR action by inhibiting DNA binding. In addition, the linear conjugate does not promote AR nuclear localization or co-activator binding. In contrast, the cyclic conjugate promotes AR nuclear localization and induces cell-cycle arrest, despite its inability to compete against endogenous ligand for binding to AR in vitro. Genome-wide expression analysis reveals that gene transcripts are differentially affected by treatment with the linear or cyclic conjugate. Although the divalent ethisterone conjugates share extensive chemical similarities, we illustrate that they can antagonize the AR via distinct mechanisms of action, establishing new therapeutic strategies for potential applications in AR pharmacology. PMID:22871957

Replicated Risk Nicotinic Cholinergic Receptor Genes for Nicotine Dependence

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Lingjun Zuo

2016-11-01

Full Text Available It has been hypothesized that the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs play important roles in nicotine dependence (ND and influence the number of cigarettes smoked per day (CPD in smokers. We compiled the associations between nicotinic cholinergic receptor genes (CHRNs and ND/CPD that were replicated across different studies, reviewed the expression of these risk genes in human/mouse brains, and verified their expression using independent samples of both human and mouse brains. The potential functions of the replicated risk variants were examined using cis-eQTL analysis or predicted using a series of bioinformatics analyses. We found replicated and significant associations for ND/CPD at 19 SNPs in six genes in three genomic regions (CHRNB3-A6, CHRNA5-A3-B4 and CHRNA4. These six risk genes are expressed in at least 18 distinct areas of the human/mouse brain, with verification in our independent human and mouse brain samples. The risk variants might influence the transcription, expression and splicing of the risk genes, alter RNA secondary or protein structure. We conclude that the replicated associations between CHRNB3-A6, CHRNA5-A3-B4, CHRNA4 and ND/CPD are very robust. More research is needed to examine how these genetic variants contribute to the risk for ND/CPD.

Interleukin 18 receptor 1 gene polymorphisms are associated with asthma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhu, Guohua; Whyte, Moira K B; Vestbo, Jørgen

2008-01-01

The interleukin 18 receptor (IL18R1) gene is a strong candidate gene for asthma. It has been implicated in the pathophysiology of asthma and maps to an asthma susceptibility locus on chromosome 2q12. The possibility of association between polymorphisms in IL18R1 and asthma was examined by genotyp...

Role of Androgen Receptor Variants in Prostate Cancer: Report from the 2017 Mission Androgen Receptor Variants Meeting.

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Luo, Jun; Attard, Gerhardt; Balk, Steven P; Bevan, Charlotte; Burnstein, Kerry; Cato, Laura; Cherkasov, Artem; De Bono, Johann S; Dong, Yan; Gao, Allen C; Gleave, Martin; Heemers, Hannelore; Kanayama, Mayuko; Kittler, Ralf; Lang, Joshua M; Lee, Richard J; Logothetis, Christopher J; Matusik, Robert; Plymate, Stephen; Sawyers, Charles L; Selth, Luke A; Soule, Howard; Tilley, Wayne; Weigel, Nancy L; Zoubeidi, Amina; Dehm, Scott M; Raj, Ganesh V

2018-05-01

Although a number of studies have demonstrated the importance of constitutively active androgen receptor variants (AR-Vs) in prostate cancer, questions still remain about the precise role of AR-Vs in the progression of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Key stakeholders and opinion leaders in prostate cancer convened on May 11, 2017 in Boston to establish the current state of the field of AR-Vs. The meeting "Mission Androgen Receptor Variants" was the second of its kind sponsored by the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF). This invitation-only event was attended by international leaders in the field and representatives from sponsoring organizations (PCF and industry sponsors). Eighteen faculty members gave short presentations, which were followed by in-depth discussions. Discussions focused on three thematic topics: (1) potential of AR-Vs as biomarkers of therapeutic resistance; (2) role of AR-Vs as functionally active CRPC progression drivers; and (3) utility of AR-Vs as therapeutic targets in CRPC. The three meeting organizers synthesized this meeting report, which is intended to summarize major data discussed at the meeting and identify key questions as well as strategies for addressing these questions. There was a critical consensus that further study of the AR-Vs is an important research focus in CRPC. Contrasting views and emphasis, each supported by data, were presented at the meeting, discussed among the participants, and synthesized in this report. This article highlights the state of knowledge and outlines the most pressing questions that need to be addressed to advance the AR-V field. Although further investigation is needed to delineate the role of androgen receptor (AR) variants in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, advances in measurement science have enabled development of blood-based tests for treatment selection. Detection of AR variants (eg, AR-V7) identified a patient population with poor outcomes to existing AR

[Association of polymorphisms in toll-like receptor genes with atopic dermatitis in the Republic of Bashkortostan].

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Gimalova, G F; Karunas, A S; Fedorova, Iu Iu; Gumennaia, É R; Levasheva, S V; Khismatullina, Z R; Prans, E; Koks, S; Étkina, É I; Khusnutdinova, É K

2014-01-01

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a prevalent chronic inflammatory skin disease developing as a result of the interaction between genetic predisposition and environmental factors. Considerable role in allergic diseases development is played by polymorphisms of genes of pattern-recognition receptors (PRR) which are capable of recognizing conservative standard molecular structures (patterns) unique for large pathogen groups. In this study polymorphic variants of PRR genes--Toll-like receptors (TLR1, TLR2, TLR4, TLR5, TLR6, TLR9, TLR10), NOD-like receptors (NOD1, NOD2), lipopolysaccharide receptor CD14 gene, and C11orf30 and LRRC32 genes, located in 11q13.5 region, have been investigated in AD patients and control subjects from the Republic of Bashkortostan. An association of TLR1 (rs5743571 and rs5743604), TLR6 (rs5743794) and TLR10 (rs11466617) with AD was found. Our results confirm an important role of the innate immune system in the pathogenesis of AD and the significance of polymorphisms within the Toll-like receptor 2 subfamily genes in AD development.

Enzalutamide inhibits androgen receptor-positive bladder cancer cell growth.

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Kawahara, Takashi; Ide, Hiroki; Kashiwagi, Eiji; El-Shishtawy, Kareem A; Li, Yi; Reis, Leonardo O; Zheng, Yichun; Miyamoto, Hiroshi

2016-10-01

Emerging preclinical evidence suggests that androgen-mediated androgen receptor (AR) signals promote bladder cancer progression. However, little is known about the efficacy of an AR signaling inhibitor, enzalutamide, in the growth of bladder cancer cells. In this study, we compared the effects of enzalutamide and 2 other classic antiandrogens, flutamide and bicalutamide, on androgen-induced bladder cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion as well as tumor growth in vivo. Thiazolyl blue cell viability assay, flow cytometry, scratch wound-healing assay, transwell invasion assay, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and reporter gene assay were performed in AR-positive (e.g., UMUC3, TCCSUP, and 647V-AR) and AR-negative (e.g., UMUC3-AR-short hairpin RNA [shRNA], TCCSUP-AR-shRNA, 647V) bladder cancer lines treated with dihydrotestosterone and each AR antagonist. We also used a mouse xenograft model for bladder cancer. Dihydrotestosterone increased bladder cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion indicating that endogenous or exogenous AR was functional. Enzalutamide, hydroxyflutamide, and bicalutamide showed similar inhibitory effects, without significant agonist activity, on androgen-mediated cell viability/apoptosis, cell migration, and cell invasion in AR-positive lines. No significant effects of dihydrotestosterone as well as AR antagonists on the growth of AR-negative cells were seen. Correspondingly, in UMUC3 cells, these AR antagonists down-regulated androgen-induced expression of AR, matrix metalloproteinase-2, and interleukin-6. Androgen-enhanced AR-mediated transcriptional activity was also blocked by each AR antagonist exhibiting insignificant agonist activity. In UMUC3 xenograft-bearing mice, oral gavage treatment with each antiandrogen retarded tumor growth, and only enzalutamide demonstrated a statistically significant suppression compared with mock treatment. Our current data support recent observations indicating the involvement of

Bisphenol A affects androgen receptor function via multiple mechanisms.

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Teng, Christina; Goodwin, Bonnie; Shockley, Keith; Xia, Menghang; Huang, Ruili; Norris, John; Merrick, B Alex; Jetten, Anton M; Austin, Christopher P; Tice, Raymond R

2013-05-25

Bisphenol A (BPA), is a well-known endocrine disruptor compound (EDC) that affects the normal development and function of the female and male reproductive system, however the mechanisms of action remain unclear. To investigate the molecular mechanisms of how BPA may affect ten different nuclear receptors, stable cell lines containing individual nuclear receptor ligand binding domain (LBD)-linked to the β-Gal reporter were examined by a quantitative high throughput screening (qHTS) format in the Tox21 Screening Program of the NIH. The results showed that two receptors, estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and androgen receptor (AR), are affected by BPA in opposite direction. To confirm the observed effects of BPA on ERα and AR, we performed transient transfection experiments with full-length receptors and their corresponding response elements linked to luciferase reporters. We also included in this study two BPA analogs, bisphenol AF (BPAF) and bisphenol S (BPS). As seen in African green monkey kidney CV1 cells, the present study confirmed that BPA and BPAF act as ERα agonists (half maximal effective concentration EC50 of 10-100 nM) and as AR antagonists (half maximal inhibitory concentration IC50 of 1-2 μM). Both BPA and BPAF antagonized AR function via competitive inhibition of the action of synthetic androgen R1881. BPS with lower estrogenic activity (EC50 of 2.2 μM), did not compete with R1881 for AR binding, when tested at 30 μM. Finally, the effects of BPA were also evaluated in a nuclear translocation assays using EGPF-tagged receptors. Similar to 17β-estradiol (E2) which was used as control, BPA was able to enhance ERα nuclear foci formation but at a 100-fold higher concentration. Although BPA was able to bind AR, the nuclear translocation was reduced. Furthermore, BPA was unable to induce functional foci in the nuclei and is consistent with the transient transfection study that BPA is unable to activate AR. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Androgen and retinoic acid interaction in LNCaP cells, effects on cell proliferation and expression of retinoic acid receptors and epidermal growth factor receptor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Ming-tang; Richter, Frank; Chang, Chawnshang; Irwin, Robert J; Huang, Hosea FS

2002-01-01

Modulation of the expression of retinoic acid receptors (RAR) α and γ in adult rat prostate by testosterone (T) suggests that RAR signaling events might mediate some of the androgen effects on prostate cells. In this study, we examined the interactions between T and retinoic acid (RA) in cell growth of human prostate carcinoma cells, LNCaP, and their relationship with the expression of RAR and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R). Both T and RA, when administered alone, stimulated 3 H-thymidine incorporation in LNCaP cells in a dose-dependent manner; the effect of each agent was reciprocally attenuated by the other agent. Testosterone treatment of LNCaP cells also resulted in dose dependent, biphasic increases in RAR α and γ mRNAs; increases paralleled that of 3 H-thymidine incorporation and were attenuated by the presence of 100 nM RA. These results suggest a link between RAR signaling and the effect of T on LNCaP cell growth. Gel electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed the presence of putative androgen responsive element (ARE) in the promoter region of RAR α gene, suggesting that a direct AR-DNA interaction might mediate the effects of T on RAR α gene. Furthermore, treatment of LNCaP cells with 20 nM T resulted in an increase in EGF-R. In contrast, EGF-R was suppressed by 100 nM RA that also suppressed the effect of T. Current results demonstrate interactions between T and RA in the expression of RARs and cell growth in LNCaP cells. The presence of putative ARE in the promoter of the RAR α gene suggests that AR-DNA interaction might mediate the effects of T on RAR α gene. The opposite effects of T and RA on the expression of RAR and EGF-R suggest that signal events of these receptors might be involved in the interaction between T and RA in the control of LNCaP cell growth

Androgen and retinoic acid interaction in LNCaP cells, effects on cell proliferation and expression of retinoic acid receptors and epidermal growth factor receptor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irwin Robert J

2002-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Modulation of the expression of retinoic acid receptors (RAR α and γ in adult rat prostate by testosterone (T suggests that RAR signaling events might mediate some of the androgen effects on prostate cells. Method In this study, we examined the interactions between T and retinoic acid (RA in cell growth of human prostate carcinoma cells, LNCaP, and their relationship with the expression of RAR and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R. Results Both T and RA, when administered alone, stimulated 3H-thymidine incorporation in LNCaP cells in a dose-dependent manner; the effect of each agent was reciprocally attenuated by the other agent. Testosterone treatment of LNCaP cells also resulted in dose dependent, biphasic increases in RAR α and γ mRNAs; increases paralleled that of 3H-thymidine incorporation and were attenuated by the presence of 100 nM RA. These results suggest a link between RAR signaling and the effect of T on LNCaP cell growth. Gel electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed the presence of putative androgen responsive element (ARE in the promoter region of RAR α gene, suggesting that a direct AR-DNA interaction might mediate the effects of T on RAR α gene. Furthermore, treatment of LNCaP cells with 20 nM T resulted in an increase in EGF-R. In contrast, EGF-R was suppressed by 100 nM RA that also suppressed the effect of T. Conclusions Current results demonstrate interactions between T and RA in the expression of RARs and cell growth in LNCaP cells. The presence of putative ARE in the promoter of the RAR α gene suggests that AR-DNA interaction might mediate the effects of T on RAR α gene. The opposite effects of T and RA on the expression of RAR and EGF-R suggest that signal events of these receptors might be involved in the interaction between T and RA in the control of LNCaP cell growth.

Divergent Label-free Cell Phenotypic Pharmacology of Ligands at the Overexpressed β2-Adrenergic Receptors

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Ferrie, Ann M.; Sun, Haiyan; Zaytseva, Natalya; Fang, Ye

2014-01-01

We present subclone sensitive cell phenotypic pharmacology of ligands at the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) stably expressed in HEK-293 cells. The parental cell line was transfected with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged β2-AR. Four stable subclones were established and used to profile a library of sixty-nine AR ligands. Dynamic mass redistribution (DMR) profiling resulted in a pharmacological activity map suggesting that HEK293 endogenously expresses functional Gi-coupled α2-AR and Gs-coupled β2-AR, and the label-free cell phenotypic activity of AR ligands are subclone dependent. Pathway deconvolution revealed that the DMR of epinephrine is originated mostly from the remodeling of actin microfilaments and adhesion complexes, to less extent from the microtubule networks and receptor trafficking, and certain agonists displayed different efficacy towards the cAMP-Epac pathway. We demonstrate that receptor signaling and ligand pharmacology is sensitive to the receptor expression level, and the organization of the receptor and its signaling circuitry.

Pax6 represses androgen receptor-mediated transactivation by inhibiting recruitment of the coactivator SPBP.

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Julianne Elvenes

Full Text Available The androgen receptor (AR has a central role in development and maintenance of the male reproductive system and in the etiology of prostate cancer. The transcription factor Pax6 has recently been reported to act as a repressor of AR and to be hypermethylated in prostate cancer cells. SPBP is a transcriptional regulator that previously has been shown to enhance the activity of Pax6. In this study we have identified SPBP to act as a transcriptional coactivator of AR. We also show that Pax6 inhibits SPBP-mediated enhancement of AR activity on the AR target gene probasin promoter, a repression that was partly reversed by increased expression of SPBP. Enhanced expression of Pax6 reduced the amount of SPBP associated with the probasin promoter when assayed by ChIP in HeLa cells. We mapped the interaction between both AR and SPBP, and AR and Pax6 to the DNA-binding domains of the involved proteins. Further binding studies revealed that Pax6 and SPBP compete for binding to AR. These results suggest that Pax6 represses AR activity by displacing and/or inhibiting recruitment of coactivators to AR target promoters. Understanding the mechanism for inhibition of AR coactivators can give rise to molecular targeted drugs for treatment of prostate cancer.

The Medicago truncatula lysine motif-receptor-like kinase gene family includes NFP and new nodule-expressed genes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Arrighi, J.F.; Barre, A.; Amor, Ben B.; Bersoult, A.; Campos Soriano, L.; Mirabella, R.; Carvalho-Niebel, de F.; Journet, E.P.; Ghérardi, M.; Huguet, T.; Geurts, R.; Dénarié, J.; Rougé, P.; Gough, C.

2006-01-01

Rhizobial Nod factors are key symbiotic signals responsible for starting the nodulation process in host legume plants. Of the six Medicago truncatula genes controlling a Nod factor signaling pathway, Nod Factor Perception (NFP) was reported as a candidate Nod factor receptor gene. Here, we provide

Metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 and corticotrophin-releasing factor receptor-1 gene expression is differently regulated by BDNF in rat primary cortical neurons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Christinna V; Klein, Anders B; El-Sayed, Mona

2013-01-01

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is important for neuronal survival and plasticity. Incorporation of matured receptor proteins is an integral part of synapse formation. However, whether BDNF increases synthesis and integration of receptors in functional synapses directly is unclear. We...... are particularly interested in the regulation of the 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A (5-HT2A R). This receptor form a functional complex with the metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2) and is recruited to the cell membrane by the corticotrophin-releasing factor receptor 1 (CRF-R1). The effect of BDNF on gene...... expression for all these receptors, as well as a number of immediate-early genes, was pharmacologically characterized in primary neurons from rat frontal cortex. BDNF increased CRF-R1 mRNA levels up to fivefold, whereas mGluR2 mRNA levels were proportionally downregulated. No effect on 5-HT2A R mRNA was seen...

Natural killer cell receptor genes in the family Equidae: not only Ly49.

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Jan Futas

Full Text Available Natural killer (NK cells have important functions in immunity. NK recognition in mammals can be mediated through killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR and/or killer cell lectin-like Ly49 receptors. Genes encoding highly variable NK cell receptors (NKR represent rapidly evolving genomic regions. No single conservative model of NKR genes was observed in mammals. Single-copy low polymorphic NKR genes present in one mammalian species may expand into highly polymorphic multigene families in other species. In contrast to other non-rodent mammals, multiple Ly49-like genes appear to exist in the horse, while no functional KIR genes were observed in this species. In this study, Ly49 and KIR were sought and their evolution was characterized in the entire family Equidae. Genomic sequences retrieved showed the presence of at least five highly conserved polymorphic Ly49 genes in horses, asses and zebras. These findings confirmed that the expansion of Ly49 occurred in the entire family. Several KIR-like sequences were also identified in the genome of Equids. Besides a previously identified non-functional KIR-Immunoglobulin-like transcript fusion gene (KIR-ILTA and two putative pseudogenes, a KIR3DL-like sequence was analyzed. In contrast to previous observations made in the horse, the KIR3DL sequence, genomic organization and mRNA expression suggest that all Equids might produce a functional KIR receptor protein molecule with a single non-mutated immune tyrosine-based inhibition motif (ITIM domain. No evidence for positive selection in the KIR3DL gene was found. Phylogenetic analysis including rhinoceros and tapir genomic DNA and deduced amino acid KIR-related sequences showed differences between families and even between species within the order Perissodactyla. The results suggest that the order Perissodactyla and its family Equidae with expanded Ly49 genes and with a potentially functional KIR gene may represent an interesting model for

Natural Killer Cell Receptor Genes in the Family Equidae: Not only Ly49

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Futas, Jan; Horin, Petr

2013-01-01

Natural killer (NK) cells have important functions in immunity. NK recognition in mammals can be mediated through killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) and/or killer cell lectin-like Ly49 receptors. Genes encoding highly variable NK cell receptors (NKR) represent rapidly evolving genomic regions. No single conservative model of NKR genes was observed in mammals. Single-copy low polymorphic NKR genes present in one mammalian species may expand into highly polymorphic multigene families in other species. In contrast to other non-rodent mammals, multiple Ly49-like genes appear to exist in the horse, while no functional KIR genes were observed in this species. In this study, Ly49 and KIR were sought and their evolution was characterized in the entire family Equidae. Genomic sequences retrieved showed the presence of at least five highly conserved polymorphic Ly49 genes in horses, asses and zebras. These findings confirmed that the expansion of Ly49 occurred in the entire family. Several KIR-like sequences were also identified in the genome of Equids. Besides a previously identified non-functional KIR-Immunoglobulin-like transcript fusion gene (KIR-ILTA) and two putative pseudogenes, a KIR3DL-like sequence was analyzed. In contrast to previous observations made in the horse, the KIR3DL sequence, genomic organization and mRNA expression suggest that all Equids might produce a functional KIR receptor protein molecule with a single non-mutated immune tyrosine-based inhibition motif (ITIM) domain. No evidence for positive selection in the KIR3DL gene was found. Phylogenetic analysis including rhinoceros and tapir genomic DNA and deduced amino acid KIR-related sequences showed differences between families and even between species within the order Perissodactyla. The results suggest that the order Perissodactyla and its family Equidae with expanded Ly49 genes and with a potentially functional KIR gene may represent an interesting model for evolutionary biology of

INTERSPECIES EXTRAPOLATION AND IN VITRO SCREENING BASED UPON RECOMBINANT AR AND ER PROTEINS

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While EDCs have the potential to act via several mechanisms of action, one of the most widely accepted is the ability of environmental chemicals to interact directly with either the estrogen (ER) or androgen receptor (AR). Although we know that the steroid receptors of the lower...

Cloning of the cDNA and gene for a human D2 dopamine receptor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grady, D.K.; Makam, H.; Stofko, R.E.; Bunzow, J.R.; Civelli, O.; Marchionni, M.A.; Alfano, M.; Frothingham, L.; Fischer, J.B.; Burke-Howie, K.J.; Server, A.C.

1989-01-01

A clone encoding a human D 2 dopamine receptor was isolated from a pituitary cDNA library and sequenced. The deduced protein sequence is 96% identical with that of the cloned rat receptor with one major difference: the human receptor contains an additional 29 amino acids in its putative third cytoplasmic loop. Southern blotting demonstrated the presence of only one human D 2 receptor gene. Two overlapping phage containing the gene were isolated and characterized. DNA sequence analysis of these clones showed that the coding sequence is interrupted by six introns and that the additional amino acids present in the human pituitary receptor are encoded by a single exon of 87 base pairs. The involvement of this sequence in alternative splicing and its biological significance are discussed

Polymorphisms in adenosine receptor genes are associated with infarct size in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy.

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Tang, Z; Diamond, M A; Chen, J-M; Holly, T A; Bonow, R O; Dasgupta, A; Hyslop, T; Purzycki, A; Wagner, J; McNamara, D M; Kukulski, T; Wos, S; Velazquez, E J; Ardlie, K; Feldman, A M

2007-10-01

The goal of this experiment was to identify the presence of genetic variants in the adenosine receptor genes and assess their relationship to infarct size in a population of patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Adenosine receptors play an important role in protecting the heart during ischemia and in mediating the effects of ischemic preconditioning. We sequenced DNA samples from 273 individuals with ischemic cardiomyopathy and from 203 normal controls to identify the presence of genetic variants in the adenosine receptor genes. Subsequently, we analyzed the relationship between the identified genetic variants and infarct size, left ventricular size, and left ventricular function. Three variants in the 3'-untranslated region of the A(1)-adenosine gene (nt 1689 C/A, nt 2206 Tdel, nt 2683del36) and an informative polymorphism in the coding region of the A3-adenosine gene (nt 1509 A/C I248L) were associated with changes in infarct size. These results suggest that genetic variants in the adenosine receptor genes may predict the heart's response to ischemia or injury and might also influence an individual's response to adenosine therapy.

Allosteric interactions between agonists and antagonists within the adenosine A2A receptor-dopamine D2 receptor heterotetramer.

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Bonaventura, Jordi; Navarro, Gemma; Casadó-Anguera, Verònica; Azdad, Karima; Rea, William; Moreno, Estefanía; Brugarolas, Marc; Mallol, Josefa; Canela, Enric I; Lluís, Carme; Cortés, Antoni; Volkow, Nora D; Schiffmann, Serge N; Ferré, Sergi; Casadó, Vicent

2015-07-07

Adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR)-dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) heteromers are key modulators of striatal neuronal function. It has been suggested that the psychostimulant effects of caffeine depend on its ability to block an allosteric modulation within the A2AR-D2R heteromer, by which adenosine decreases the affinity and intrinsic efficacy of dopamine at the D2R. We describe novel unsuspected allosteric mechanisms within the heteromer by which not only A2AR agonists, but also A2AR antagonists, decrease the affinity and intrinsic efficacy of D2R agonists and the affinity of D2R antagonists. Strikingly, these allosteric modulations disappear on agonist and antagonist coadministration. This can be explained by a model that considers A2AR-D2R heteromers as heterotetramers, constituted by A2AR and D2R homodimers, as demonstrated by experiments with bioluminescence resonance energy transfer and bimolecular fluorescence and bioluminescence complementation. As predicted by the model, high concentrations of A2AR antagonists behaved as A2AR agonists and decreased D2R function in the brain.

A Single Dose of LSD Does Not Alter Gene Expression of the Serotonin 2A Receptor Gene (HTR2A) or Early Growth Response Genes (EGR1-3) in Healthy Subjects

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Dolder, Patrick C.; Grünblatt, Edna; Müller, Felix; Borgwardt, Stefan J.; Liechti, Matthias E.

2017-01-01

Rationale: Renewed interest has been seen in the use of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in psychiatric research and practice. The repeated use of LSD leads to tolerance that is believed to result from serotonin (5-HT) 5-HT2A receptor downregulation. In rats, daily LSD administration for 4 days decreased frontal cortex 5-HT2A receptor binding. Additionally, a single dose of LSD acutely increased expression of the early growth response genes EGR1 and EGR2 in rat and mouse brains through 5-HT2A receptor stimulation. No human data on the effects of LSD on gene expression has been reported. Therefore, we investigated the effects of single-dose LSD administration on the expression of the 5-HT2A receptor gene (HTR2A) and EGR1-3 genes. Methods: mRNA expression levels were analyzed in whole blood as a peripheral biomarker in 15 healthy subjects before and 1.5 and 24 h after the administration of LSD (100 μg) and placebo in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. Results: LSD did not alter the expression of the HTR2A or EGR1-3 genes 1.5 and 24 h after administration compared with placebo. Conclusion: No changes were observed in the gene expression of LSD’s primary target receptor gene or genes that are implicated in its downstream effects. Remaining unclear is whether chronic LSD administration alters gene expression in humans. PMID:28701958

Characterization of niphatenones that inhibit androgen receptor N-terminal domain.

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Carmen A Banuelos

Full Text Available Androgen ablation therapy causes a temporary reduction in tumor burden in patients with advanced prostate cancer. Unfortunately the malignancy will return to form lethal castration-recurrent prostate cancer (CRPC. The androgen receptor (AR remains transcriptionally active in CRPC in spite of castrate levels of androgens in the blood. AR transcriptional activity resides in its N-terminal domain (NTD. Possible mechanisms of continued AR transcriptional activity may include, at least in part, expression of constitutively active splice variants of AR that lack the C-terminal ligand-binding domain (LBD. Current therapies that target the AR LBD, would not be effective against these AR variants. Currently no drugs are clinically available that target the AR NTD which should be effective against these AR variants as well as full-length AR. Niphatenones were originally isolated and identified in active extracts from Niphates digitalis marine sponge. Here we begin to characterize the mechanism of niphatenones in blocking AR transcriptional activity. Both enantiomers had similar IC50 values of 6 µM for inhibiting the full-length AR in a functional transcriptional assay. However, (S-niphatenone had significantly better activity against the AR NTD compared to (R-niphatenone. Consistent with niphatenones binding to and inhibiting transactivation of AR NTD, niphatenones inhibited AR splice variant. Niphatenone did not affect the transcriptional activity of the related progesterone receptor, but slightly decreased glucocorticoid receptor (GR activity and covalently bound to GR activation function-1 (AF-1 region. Niphatenone blocked N/C interactions of AR without altering either AR protein levels or its intracellular localization in response to androgen. Alkylation with glutathione suggests that niphatenones are not a feasible scaffold for further drug development.

Androgen receptor levels during progression of prostate cancer in the transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate model

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Krisna Murti

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Aim To construct tissue microarrays (TMAs that consisted of prostate tumours from the transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate (TRAMP mice and non-transgenic murine prostates and to assess androgen receptor (AR levels during progression of prostate cancer in TRAMP mice by immunohistochemistry.Methods Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E sections from the ventral and dorso-lateral prostate lobes of non-transgenic, intact TRAMP and castrated TRAMP were used to demarcate regions of interest for TMAs construction. The samples on TMAs were used to evaluate AR expression using video image analysis (VIA.Results AR was expressed during cancer progression, but AR levels were reduced or absent in late stage disease. Furthermore, when AR levels were compared in tumours from intact and castrate animals, a significant increase in AR levels was observed following androgen ablation.Conclusion Similar to clinical prostate cancer, in the TRAMP model, prostate tumours evolve mechanisms to maintain AR expression and AR responsive gene pathways following castration to facilitate continued tumour growth. (Med J Indones 2010; 19:5-13Keywords : androgen ablation therapy, tissue microarrays, haematoxylin and eosin, video image analysis

Non-neural androgen receptors affect sexual differentiation of brain and behaviour.

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Monks, D A; Swift-Gallant, A

2018-02-01

Although gonadal testosterone is the principal endocrine factor that promotes masculine traits in mammals, the development of a male phenotype requires local production of both androgenic and oestrogenic signals within target tissues. Much of our knowledge concerning androgenic components of testosterone signalling in sexual differentiation comes from studies of androgen receptor (Ar) loss of function mutants. Here, we review these studies of loss of Ar function and of AR overexpression either globally or selectively in the nervous system of mice. Global and neural mutations affect socio-sexual behaviour and the neuroanatomy of these mice in a sexually differentiated manner. Some masculine traits are affected by both global and neural mutation, indicative of neural mediation, whereas other masculine traits are affected only by global mutation, indicative of an obligatory non-neural androgen target. These results support a model in which multiple sites of androgen action coordinate to produce masculine phenotypes. Furthermore, AR overexpression does not always have a phenotype opposite to that of loss of Ar function mutants, indicative of a nonlinear relationship between androgen dose and masculine phenotype in some cases. Potential mechanisms of Ar gene function in non-neural targets in producing masculine phenotypes are discussed. © 2017 British Society for Neuroendocrinology.

Sox2 Is an Androgen Receptor-Repressed Gene That Promotes Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

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Kregel, Steven; Kiriluk, Kyle J.; Rosen, Alex M.; Cai, Yi; Reyes, Edwin E.; Otto, Kristen B.; Tom, Westin; Paner, Gladell P.; Szmulewitz, Russell Z.; Vander Griend, Donald J.

2013-01-01

Despite advances in detection and therapy, castration-resistant prostate cancer continues to be a major clinical problem. The aberrant activity of stem cell pathways, and their regulation by the Androgen Receptor (AR), has the potential to provide insight into novel mechanisms and pathways to prevent and treat advanced, castrate-resistant prostate cancers. To this end, we investigated the role of the embryonic stem cell regulator Sox2 [SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 2] in normal and malignant prostate epithelial cells. In the normal prostate, Sox2 is expressed in a portion of basal epithelial cells. Prostate tumors were either Sox2-positive or Sox2-negative, with the percentage of Sox2-positive tumors increasing with Gleason Score and metastases. In the castration-resistant prostate cancer cell line CWR-R1, endogenous expression of Sox2 was repressed by AR signaling, and AR chromatin-IP shows that AR binds the enhancer element within the Sox2 promoter. Likewise, in normal prostate epithelial cells and human embryonic stem cells, increased AR signaling also decreases Sox2 expression. Resistance to the anti-androgen MDV3100 results in a marked increase in Sox2 expression within three prostate cancer cell lines, and in the castration-sensitive LAPC-4 prostate cancer cell line ectopic expression of Sox2 was sufficient to promote castration-resistant tumor formation. Loss of Sox2 expression in the castration-resistant CWR-R1 prostate cancer cell line inhibited cell growth. Up-regulation of Sox2 was not associated with increased CD133 expression but was associated with increased FGF5 (Fibroblast Growth Factor 5) expression. These data propose a model of elevated Sox2 expression due to loss of AR-mediated repression during castration, and consequent castration-resistance via mechanisms not involving induction of canonical embryonic stem cell pathways. PMID:23326489

Hallucinogenic 5-HT2AR agonists LSD and DOI enhance dopamine D2R protomer recognition and signaling of D2-5-HT2A heteroreceptor complexes.

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Borroto-Escuela, Dasiel O; Romero-Fernandez, Wilber; Narvaez, Manuel; Oflijan, Julia; Agnati, Luigi F; Fuxe, Kjell

2014-01-03

Dopamine D2LR-serotonin 5-HT2AR heteromers were demonstrated in HEK293 cells after cotransfection of the two receptors and shown to have bidirectional receptor-receptor interactions. In the current study the existence of D2L-5-HT2A heteroreceptor complexes was demonstrated also in discrete regions of the ventral and dorsal striatum with in situ proximity ligation assays (PLA). The hallucinogenic 5-HT2AR agonists LSD and DOI but not the standard 5-HT2AR agonist TCB2 and 5-HT significantly increased the density of D2like antagonist (3)H-raclopride binding sites and significantly reduced the pKiH values of the high affinity D2R agonist binding sites in (3)H-raclopride/DA competition experiments. Similar results were obtained in HEK293 cells and in ventral striatum. The effects of the hallucinogenic 5-HT2AR agonists on D2R density and affinity were blocked by the 5-HT2A antagonist ketanserin. In a forskolin-induced CRE-luciferase reporter gene assay using cotransfected but not D2R singly transfected HEK293 cells DOI and LSD but not TCB2 significantly enhanced the D2LR agonist quinpirole induced inhibition of CRE-luciferase activity. Haloperidol blocked the effects of both quinpirole alone and the enhancing actions of DOI and LSD while ketanserin only blocked the enhancing actions of DOI and LSD. The mechanism for the allosteric enhancement of the D2R protomer recognition and signalling observed is likely mediated by a biased agonist action of the hallucinogenic 5-HT2AR agonists at the orthosteric site of the 5-HT2AR protomer. This mechanism may contribute to the psychotic actions of LSD and DOI and the D2-5-HT2A heteroreceptor complex may thus be a target for the psychotic actions of hallunicogenic 5-HT2A agonists. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Targeting AR Variant-Coactivator Interactions to Exploit Prostate Cancer Vulnerabilities.

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Magani, Fiorella; Peacock, Stephanie O; Rice, Meghan A; Martinez, Maria J; Greene, Ann M; Magani, Pablo S; Lyles, Rolando; Weitz, Jonathan R; Burnstein, Kerry L

2017-11-01

Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) progresses rapidly and is incurable. Constitutively active androgen receptor splice variants (AR-Vs) represent a well-established mechanism of therapeutic resistance and disease progression. These variants lack the AR ligand-binding domain and, as such, are not inhibited by androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), which is the standard systemic approach for advanced prostate cancer. Signaling by AR-Vs, including the clinically relevant AR-V7, is augmented by Vav3, an established AR coactivator in CRPC. Using mutational and biochemical studies, we demonstrated that the Vav3 Diffuse B-cell lymphoma homology (DH) domain interacted with the N-terminal region of AR-V7 (and full length AR). Expression of the Vav3 DH domain disrupted Vav3 interaction with and enhancement of AR-V7 activity. The Vav3 DH domain also disrupted AR-V7 interaction with other AR coactivators: Src1 and Vav2, which are overexpressed in PC. This Vav3 domain was used in proof-of-concept studies to evaluate the effects of disrupting the interaction between AR-V7 and its coactivators on CRPC cells. This disruption decreased CRPC cell proliferation and anchorage-independent growth, caused increased apoptosis, decreased migration, and resulted in the acquisition of morphological changes associated with a less aggressive phenotype. While disrupting the interaction between FL-AR and its coactivators decreased N-C terminal interaction, disrupting the interaction of AR-V7 with its coactivators decreased AR-V7 nuclear levels. Implications: This study demonstrates the potential therapeutic utility of inhibiting constitutively active AR-V signaling by disrupting coactivator binding. Such an approach is significant, as AR-Vs are emerging as important drivers of CRPC that are particularly recalcitrant to current therapies. Mol Cancer Res; 15(11); 1469-80. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

LSD1 activates a lethal prostate cancer gene network independently of its demethylase function.

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Sehrawat, Archana; Gao, Lina; Wang, Yuliang; Bankhead, Armand; McWeeney, Shannon K; King, Carly J; Schwartzman, Jacob; Urrutia, Joshua; Bisson, William H; Coleman, Daniel J; Joshi, Sunil K; Kim, Dae-Hwan; Sampson, David A; Weinmann, Sheila; Kallakury, Bhaskar V S; Berry, Deborah L; Haque, Reina; Van Den Eeden, Stephen K; Sharma, Sunil; Bearss, Jared; Beer, Tomasz M; Thomas, George V; Heiser, Laura M; Alumkal, Joshi J

2018-05-01

Medical castration that interferes with androgen receptor (AR) function is the principal treatment for advanced prostate cancer. However, clinical progression is universal, and tumors with AR-independent resistance mechanisms appear to be increasing in frequency. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop new treatments targeting molecular pathways enriched in lethal prostate cancer. Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) is a histone demethylase and an important regulator of gene expression. Here, we show that LSD1 promotes the survival of prostate cancer cells, including those that are castration-resistant, independently of its demethylase function and of the AR. Importantly, this effect is explained in part by activation of a lethal prostate cancer gene network in collaboration with LSD1's binding protein, ZNF217. Finally, that a small-molecule LSD1 inhibitor-SP-2509-blocks important demethylase-independent functions and suppresses castration-resistant prostate cancer cell viability demonstrates the potential of LSD1 inhibition in this disease.

Androgen receptor activation integrates complex transcriptional effects in osteoblasts, involving the growth factors TGF-β and IGF-I, and transcription factor C/EBPδ.

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McCarthy, Thomas L; Centrella, Michael

2015-11-15

Osteoblasts respond to many growth factors including IGF-I and TGF-β, which themselves are sensitive to other bone growth regulators. Here we show that IGF-I gene promoter activity in prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) induced osteoblasts is suppressed by dihydrotestosterone (DHT) through an essential C/EBP response element (RE) in exon 1 of the igf1 gene. Inhibition by DHT fails to occur when the androgen receptor (AR) gene is mutated within its DNA binding domain. Correspondingly, DHT activated AR inhibits gene transactivation by C/EBPδ, and transgenic C/EBPδ expression inhibits AR activity. Inhibition by DHT persists when upstream Smad and Runx REs in the IGF-I gene promoter are mutated. TGF-β also enhances IGF-I gene promoter activity, although modestly relative to PGE2, and independently of the C/EBP, Smad, or Runx REs. Still, DHT suppresses TGF-β induced IGF-I promoter activity, but not its effects on DNA or collagen synthesis. Notably, DHT suppresses plasminogen activator inhibitor gene promoter activity, but synergistically increases Smad dependent gene promoter activity in TGF-β induced cells, which are differentially sensitive to AR mutations and the AR co-regulator ARA55. Finally, although the PGE2 sensitive C/EBP RE in the igf1 gene is not essential for basal TGF-β induction, C/EBPδ activity through this site is potently enhanced by TGF-β. Thus DHT suppresses the PGE2 and TGF-β induced IGF-I gene promoter and differentiates other aspects of TGF-β activity in osteoblasts. Our results extend the complex interactions among local and systemic bone growth regulators to DHT, and predict complications from anabolic steroid use in other DHT sensitive tissues. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Variation in oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) polymorphisms is associated with emotional and behavioral reactions to betrayal.

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Tabak, Benjamin A; McCullough, Michael E; Carver, Charles S; Pedersen, Eric J; Cuccaro, Michael L

2014-06-01

Variations in the gene that encodes the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) have been associated with many aspects of social cognition as well as several prosocial behaviors. However, potential associations of OXTR variants with reactions to betrayals of trust while cooperating for mutual benefit have not yet been explored. We examined how variations in 10 single-nucleotide polymorphisms on OXTR were associated with behavior and emotional reactions after a betrayal of trust in an iterated Prisoner's Dilemma Game. After correction for multiple testing, one haplotype (C-rs9840864, T-rs2268494) was significantly associated with faster retaliation post-betrayal-an association that appeared to be due to this haplotype's intermediate effect of exacerbating people's anger after they had been betrayed. Furthermore, a second haplotype (A-rs237887, C-rs2268490) was associated with higher levels of post-betrayal satisfaction, and a third haplotype (G-rs237887, C-rs2268490) was associated with lower levels of post-betrayal satisfaction. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Transcriptional activation of LON Gene by a new form of mitochondrial stress: A role for the nuclear respiratory factor 2 in StAR overload response (SOR).

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Bahat, Assaf; Perlberg, Shira; Melamed-Book, Naomi; Isaac, Sara; Eden, Amir; Lauria, Ines; Langer, Thomas; Orly, Joseph

2015-06-15

High output of steroid hormone synthesis in steroidogenic cells of the adrenal cortex and the gonads requires the expression of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) that facilitates cholesterol mobilization to the mitochondrial inner membrane where the CYP11A1/P450scc enzyme complex converts the sterol to the first steroid. Earlier studies have shown that StAR is active while pausing on the cytosolic face of the outer mitochondrial membrane while subsequent import of the protein into the matrix terminates the cholesterol mobilization activity. Consequently, during repeated activity cycles, high level of post-active StAR accumulates in the mitochondrial matrix. To prevent functional damage due to such protein overload effect, StAR is degraded by a sequence of three to four ATP-dependent proteases of the mitochondria protein quality control system, including LON and the m-AAA membranous proteases AFG3L2 and SPG7/paraplegin. Furthermore, StAR expression in both peri-ovulatory ovarian cells, or under ectopic expression in cell line models, results in up to 3-fold enrichment of the mitochondrial proteases and their transcripts. We named this novel form of mitochondrial stress as StAR overload response (SOR). To better understand the SOR mechanism at the transcriptional level we analyzed first the unexplored properties of the proximal promoter of the LON gene. Our findings suggest that the human nuclear respiratory factor 2 (NRF-2), also known as GA binding protein (GABP), is responsible for 88% of the proximal promoter activity, including the observed increase of transcription in the presence of StAR. Further studies are expected to reveal if common transcriptional determinants coordinate the SOR induced transcription of all the genes encoding the SOR proteases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

α1B-Adrenergic receptor signaling controls circadian expression of Tnfrsf11b by regulating clock genes in osteoblasts

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Takao Hirai

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Circadian clocks are endogenous and biological oscillations that occur with a period of <24 h. In mammals, the central circadian pacemaker is localized in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN and is linked to peripheral tissues through neural and hormonal signals. In the present study, we investigated the physiological function of the molecular clock on bone remodeling. The results of loss-of-function and gain-of-function experiments both indicated that the rhythmic expression of Tnfrsf11b, which encodes osteoprotegerin (OPG, was regulated by Bmal1 in MC3T3-E1 cells. We also showed that REV-ERBα negatively regulated Tnfrsf11b as well as Bmal1 in MC3T3-E1 cells. We systematically investigated the relationship between the sympathetic nervous system and the circadian clock in osteoblasts. The administration of phenylephrine, a nonspecific α1-adrenergic receptor (AR agonist, stimulated the expression of Tnfrsf11b, whereas the genetic ablation of α1B-AR signaling led to the alteration of Tnfrsf11b expression concomitant with Bmal1 and Per2 in bone. Thus, this study demonstrated that the circadian regulation of Tnfrsf11b was regulated by the clock genes encoding REV-ERBα (Nr1d1 and Bmal1 (Bmal1, also known as Arntl, which are components of the core loop of the circadian clock in osteoblasts.

Bone stroma-derived cells change coregulators recruitment to androgen receptor and decrease cell proliferation in androgen-sensitive and castration-resistant prostate cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villagran, Marcelo A.; Gutierrez-Castro, Francisco A.; Pantoja, Diego F.; Alarcon, Jose C.; Fariña, Macarena A.; Amigo, Romina F.; Muñoz-Godoy, Natalia A.; Pinilla, Mabel G.; Peña, Eduardo A.; Gonzalez-Chavarria, Ivan; Toledo, Jorge R.; Rivas, Coralia I.; Vera, Juan C.; McNerney, Eileen M.; Onate, Sergio A.