GSE162711
The androgen receptor-lncRNASAT1-Akt-p15 axis mediates androgen-induced cellular senescence in prostate cancer cells
The bipolar androgen therapy (BAT) to treat prostate cancer includes cycles of supraphysiological androgen levels (SAL) under continuous androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). We showed previously that SAL induces cellular senescence in androgen-sensitive PCa cells and ex vivo in PCa tumor samples from patients that underwent radical prostatectomy. Here, we show that SAL induces cellular senescence in both, castration sensitive (CSPC) LNCaP and castration resistant PCa (CRPC) C4-2 cells through the cell cycle inhibitor p15. Treatment with the Akt inhibitor (Akti) potently inhibited SAL-induced expression of p15 and cellular senescence in both cell lines. Proximity ligation assays (PLA) combined with high-resolution laser-scanning microscopy indicate that SAL promotes interaction of endogenous androgen receptor (AR) with endogenous Akt in cytoplasm as well as in nucleus after 72 hours hormone treatment. This suggests that the AR interacts with Akt also in a long-term manner. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) comparing the SAL-induced transcriptomes of LNCaP with C4-2 cells as well as of Akti treated cells revealed landscapes for cell senescence. Interestingly, one of the identified genes is the lncRNASAT1. SAL treatment of native patient tumor samples ex vivo results in upregulation of lncRNASAT1. The lncRNASAT1 is down-regulated in PCa tumor tissues compared to non-tumor tissues of same patients indicating a tumor suppressive function. Knockdown indicates that the lncRNASAT1 is crucial for SAL-induced cancer cell senescence and regulates LNCaP cell proliferation being an upstream factor for pAkt and for p15. Further, knockdown of lncRNASAT1 inhibits LNCaP cell proliferation by low androgen levels but enhances proliferation by SAL. This suggests that lncRNASAT1 serves as a tumor suppressor with SAL. Interestingly, immunoprecipitation of AR detected lncRNASAT1 as an AR interacting partner that regulates AR target gene expression. Thus, we identified a novel pathway of androgen signaling as the AR- lncRNASAT1- Akt- p15INK4b- axis to mediate SAL-induced cellular senescence. Overall design: Transcriptional profile of C-42 and LNCaP cells upon androgen treatment in combination with Akt inhibitor.