title: ARHGAP21 is a RhoGAP for RhoA and RhoC with a role in proliferation and migration of prostate adenocarcinoma cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several Rho GTPase-activating proteins (RhoGAPs) are implicated in tumor progression through their effects on Rho GTPase activity. ARHGAP21 is a RhoGAP with increased expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and with a possible role in glioblastoma tumor progression, yet little is known about the function of ARHGAP21 in cancer cells. Here we studied the role of ARHGAP21 in two prostate adenocarcinoma cell lines, LNCaP and PC3, which respectively represent initial and advanced stages of prostate carcinogenesis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ARHGAP21 is located in the nucleus and cytoplasm of both cell lines and its depletion resulted in decreased proliferation and increased migration of PC3 cells but not LNCaP cells. In PC3 cells, ARHGAP21 presented GAP activity for RhoA and RhoC and induced changes in cell morphology. Moreover, its silencing altered the expression of genes involved in cell proliferation and cytoskeleton organization, as well as the endothelin-1 canonical pathway.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results reveal new functions and signaling pathways regulated by ARHGAP21, and indicate that it could contribute to prostate cancer progression.
authors.affiliation: Hematology and Hemotherapy Center, University of Campinas/Hemocentro-Unicamp, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Sangue, INCTS, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. marilazarini@gmail.com
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lazarini
authors.forename: Fabiola
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Traina
authors.forename: João A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Machado-Neto
authors.forename: Karin S A
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Barcellos
authors.forename: Yuri B
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: Marcelo M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Brandão
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verjovski-Almeida
authors.forename: Anne J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Ridley
authors.forename: Sara T Olalla
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Saad
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D017931:DNA Primers; D020690:GTPase-Activating Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: C459590:ARHGAP21 protein, human; D017931:DNA Primers; D020690:GTPase-Activating Proteins