title: A human- and male-specific protocadherin that acts through the wnt signaling pathway to induce neuroendocrine transdifferentiation of prostate cancer cells.
abstract: Protocadherin-PC (PCDH-PC) is a gene on the human Y chromosome that is selectively expressed in apoptosis- and hormone-resistant human prostate cancer cells. The protein encoded by PCDH-PC is cytoplasmically localized and has a small serine-rich domain in its COOH terminus that is homologous to the beta-catenin binding site of classical cadherins. Variants of prostate cancer cells that express PCDH-PC have high levels of nuclear beta-catenin protein and increased wnt-signaling. In this study, we show that transfection of human prostate cancer cells (LNCaP) with PCDH-PC or culture of these cells in androgen-free medium (a condition that up-regulates PCDH-PC expression) activates wnt signaling as assessed by nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin, increased expression of luciferase from a reporter vector promoted by Tcf binding elements and increased expression of wnt target genes. Moreover, LNCaP cells transfected with PCDH-PC or grown in androgen-free medium transdifferentiate to neuroendocrine-like cells marked by elevated expression of neuron-specific enolase and chromogranin-A. Neuroendocrine transdifferentiation was also observed when LNCaP cells were transfected by stabilized beta-catenin. Increased wnt signaling and neuroendocrine transdifferentiation of LNCaP cells induced by culture in androgen-free medium was suppressed by short interfering RNAs that target PCDH-PC as well as by dominant-negative Tcf or short interfering RNA against beta-catenin, supporting the hypothesis that increased expression of PCDH-PC is driving neuroendocrine transdifferentiation by activating wnt signaling. These findings have significant implications for the process through which prostate cancers progress to hormone resistance in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, First Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xuezhen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Min-Wei
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Stephane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Terry
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vacherot
authors.forename: Dominique K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Chopin
authors.forename: Debra L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Bemis
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kitajewski
authors.forename: Mitchell C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.forename: Yinglu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buttyan
mesh_terms: D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000473:pathology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000091363:Protocadherins; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014162:Transfection; D015854:Up-Regulation; D051153:Wnt Proteins
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C468654:PCDH11Y protein, human; D010455:Peptides; D000091363:Protocadherins; D051153:Wnt Proteins