title: Suppressor role of androgen receptor in proliferation of prostate basal epithelial and progenitor cells.
abstract: Early studies have reported the differential roles of androgen receptor (AR) in different types (luminal, basal intermediate, and stromal) of prostate cancer cells. In vivo mouse model tumor studies using the total prostate epithelial knockout mice (pes-ARKO) also revealed that AR played a suppressive role in proliferation of the CK5(+)/CK8(+) progenitor/intermediate cells but a positive role in the CK5(-)/CK8(+) luminal epithelial cells. Using three different resources (one human basal epithelial cell line, one mouse basal epithelial originated progenitor cell line, and a basal epithelium-specific ARKO mouse model), we here demonstrated that the AR in basal epithelial cells of normal prostate plays a suppressive role in their proliferation but a positive role in differentiation into luminal epithelial cells. These results led us to conclude that ARs may play a negative role to suppress CK5(+) basal epithelial and progenitor cell proliferation, yet play an essential role to drive basal epithelial cells into more differentiated states. These results may explain why differential AR expression in different cell types within normal prostate is needed and suggest that ARs in prostate basal epithelial cells, although expressed at a very low level, are necessary to maintain the balance between progenitor cells and differentiated luminal epithelial cells.
authors.affiliation: George Whipple Laboratory for Cancer Research, Department of Pathology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642, USA.
authors.forename: Soo Ok
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Chiung-Kuei
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zhifang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Kuo-Pao
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: HsiMin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Shuyuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Chawnshang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D011467:Prostate / Q000166:cytology*; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D011944:Receptors, Androgen