title: Genes regulated by androgen in the rat ventral prostate.
abstract: Genes that are regulated by androgen in the prostate were studied in the rat. Four of the less than 10 genes that are down-regulated by androgen in the ventral prostate of a 7-day castrated rat were identified; their mRNAs decayed with identical kinetics. Twenty-five of the estimated 56 genes that are up-regulated by androgen in the castrated prostate have been isolated. The up-regulated genes fall into two kinetic types. Early genes are significantly up-regulated by 6.5 hr whereas the delayed genes respond mainly after 24 hr from the time of androgen replacement. These androgen-response genes are also regulated in the prostate by castration, indicating that these genes could play important roles in androgen-induced regrowth and/or castration-induced regression of the prostate during hormonal manipulation. A survey of the tissue specificity showed that the androgen-response gene expression program in the prostate is mainly prostate-specific. Total RNA Northern blot analysis detects the expression of about 16 up-regulated genes and 3 down-regulated genes in the prostate only. Four up-regulated genes and one down-regulated gene are regulated by androgen in both the prostate and seminal vesicles but not in other organs. The expression of the remaining androgen-response genes is not limited to the prostate but is only responsive to androgen in the prostate. This survey of the androgen-response gene expression program provides insights into the molecular and cellular mechanisms of androgen action in the prostate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. wangz@nwu.edu
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tufts
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haleem
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009919:Orchiectomy; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens