title: The glycosyltransferase LARGE2 is repressed by Snail and ZEB1 in prostate cancer.
abstract: Reductions in both expression of the dystroglycan core protein and functional glycosylation of the α-dystroglycan (αDG) subunit have been reported in a number of cancers and may contribute to disease progression. In the case of prostate cancer, one mechanism that contributes to αDG hypoglycosylation is transcriptional down-regulation of LARGE2 (GYLTY1B), a glycosyltransferase that produces the functional (laminin-binding) glycan on αDG, but the mechanism(s) underlying reduction of LARGE2 mRNA remain unclear. Here, we show that αDG hypoglycosylation is associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like status. We examined immunoreactivity for both functionally-glycosylated αDG and E-cadherin by flow cytometry and the relative expression of ZEB1 mRNA and the αDG glycosyltransferase LARGE2 mRNA in prostate and other cancer cell lines by quantitative RT-PCR. To study the role of ZEB1 and other transcription factors in the regulation of LARGE2, we employed overexpression and knockdown approaches. Snail- or ZEB1-driven EMT caused αDG hypoglycosylation by repressing expression of the LARGE2 mRNA, with both ZEB1-dependent and -independent mechanisms contributing to Snail-mediated LARGE2 repression. To examine the direct regulation of LARGE2 by Snail and ZEB1 we employed luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Snail and ZEB1 were found to bind directly to the LARGE2 promoter, specifically to E/Z-box clusters. Furthermore, analysis of gene expression profiles of clinical samples in The Cancer Genome Atlas reveals negative correlation of LARGE2 and ZEB1 expression in various cancers. Collectively, our results suggest that LARGE2 is negatively regulated by Snail and/or ZEB1, revealing a mechanistic basis for αDG hypoglycosylation during prostate cancer progression and metastasis.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics ; University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine ; Iowa City , IA USA.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schappet
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Henry
mesh_terms: D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018450:Disease Progression; D015870:Gene Expression; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006031:Glycosylation; D016695:Glycosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011485:Protein Binding; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020218:Response Elements; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071799:Zinc Finger E-box-Binding Homeobox 1
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; C486307:ZEB1 protein, human; D000071799:Zinc Finger E-box-Binding Homeobox 1; D016695:Glycosyltransferases; C500430:LARGE2 protein, human
keywords: BM, basement membrane; DG, dystroglycan; EMT; EMT, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; GYLTL1B; LARGE2; Snail; ZEB1; dystroglycan; glycosyltransferase; prostate cancer; β3GnT1, β3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase