GSE160399
The Rac1/Cdc42 regulator CdGAP promotes prostate cancer metastasis by regulating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis
The high mortality of prostate cancer (PCa) patients is primarily due to metastasis, which can be associated with castration-resistant PCa. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms controlling metastatic processes remains essential to improve the success of targeted therapies. The Rac1/Cdc42 regulator CdGAP (Cdc42 GTPase-activating protein) has been implicated in fundamental cellular processes involved during cancer progression. Here, we demonstrate that elevated CdGAP expression is associated with early biochemical relapse (BCR) and bone metastasis in PCa patients. Furthermore, gene expression analysis of CdGAP in PCa data sets revealed a positive association between high CdGAP expression and early BCR. CdGAP protein and mRNA levels were elevated in PC-3 cells with high metastatic potential compared to low levels of CdGAP in the androgen receptor positive LNCaP cell line. Knockdown of CdGAP in PC-3 cells reduced cell motility, invasion, proliferation and colony-formation ability while inducing an increase in cell apoptosis. Conversely, overexpression of CdGAP in DU-145 cells increased cell migration and invasion. Using global gene expression approaches we found that CdGAP regulates the expression of genes involved in EMT, apoptosis and cell cycle progression. Subcutaneous injection of CdGAP-depleted PC-3 cells into mice showed a delayed tumor initiation and attenuated tumor growth. Orthotopic prostate injection of CdGAP-depleted PC-3 cells reduced cancer metastasis to kidneys, bones, and testis. Collectively, these findings support a pro-oncogenic role of CdGAP in prostate tumorigenesis and unveil CdGAP as a novel biomarker and potential target for prostate cancer treatments. Overall design: Differential gene expression profile between control shRNA (shCon) PC-3 cells and shCdGAP PC-3 cells.