ETS family transcription factors collaborate with alternative signaling pathways to induce carcinoma from adult murine prostate cells.
Chromosomal rearrangements involving erythroblast transformation specific (ETS) family transcription factors were recently defined as the most common genetic alterations in human prostate cancer. Despite their prevalence, it is unclear what quantitative role they play in either initiation or progression of the disease. Using a lentiviral transduction and dissociated cell prostate regeneration approach, we find that acutely increased expression of ETS proteins in adult murine prostate epithelial cells is sufficient to induce the formation of epithelial hyperplasia and focal prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) lesions, but not progression to carcinoma. However, combined expression of ERG with additional genetic alternations associated with human prostate cancer can lead to aggressive disease. Although ERG overexpression does not cooperate with loss of the tumor suppressor p53, it does collaborate with alterations in PI3K signaling, such as Pten knockdown or AKT up-regulation, to produce a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. Most striking is our finding that overexpression of androgen receptor (AR) does not give rise to any hyperplastic lesions, but when combined with high levels of ERG, it promotes the development of a more poorly differentiated, invasive adenocarcinoma. These findings suggest that in human prostate cancer, the most potent function of ETS gene fusions may be to synergize with alternative genetic events and provide different pathways for carcinoma production and invasive behavior. Our results provide direct evidence for selective cooperating events in ERG-induced prostate tumorigenesis and offer a rational basis for combined therapeutic interventions against multiple oncogenic pathways in prostate cancer.
Zong
Yang
Y
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
Xin
Li
L
Goldstein
Andrew S
AS
Lawson
Devon A
DA
Teitell
Michael A
MA
Witte
Owen N
ON
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006965:Hyperplasia; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D039503:Integrin alpha6 / Q000378:metabolism; D053555:Keratin-5 / Q000378:metabolism; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009154:Mutation; D015513:Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019048:Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000378:metabolism; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000071230:Transcriptional Regulator ERG; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D039503:Integrin alpha6; D053555:Keratin-5; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000071230:Transcriptional Regulator ERG; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein; C531115:ERG protein, mouse; C490641:Etv1 protein, mouse