Faculty Bibliography

Mediator is a conserved, multi-subunit macromolecular machine divided structurally into head, middle, and tail modules, along with a transiently associating kinase module. Mediator functions as an integrator of transcriptional regulatory activity by interacting with DNA-bound transcription factors and with RNA polymerase II (Pol II) to both activate and repress gene expression. Mediator has been shown to affect multiple steps in transcription, including chromatin looping between enhancers and promoters, pre-initiation complex formation, transcriptional elongation, and mRNA splicing. Individual Mediator subunits participate in regulation of gene expression by the estrogen and androgen receptors and are altered in a number of endocrine cancers, including breast and prostate cancer. In addition to its role in genomic signaling, MED12 has been implicated in non-genomic signaling by interacting with and activating TGF-beta receptor 2 in the cytoplasm. Recent structural studies have revealed extensive inter-domain interactions and complex architecture of the Mediator-Pol II complex, suggesting that Mediator is capable of reorganizing its conformation and composition to fit cellular needs. We propose that alterations in Mediator subunit expression that occur in various cancers could impact the organization and function of Mediator, resulting in changes in gene expression that promote malignancy. A better understanding of the role of Mediator in cancer could reveal new approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of Mediator-dependent endocrine cancers, especially in settings of therapy resistance.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death in men in the United States. It depends on the signaling by the androgen receptor (AR), which is activated by testosterone. AR signaling promotes normal prostate development as well as cancer. Current treatments for prostate cancer include prostatectomy and androgen deprivation therapy. Although androgen deprivation is effective in halting prostate cancer growth, a group of men are often diagnosed with castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), which is refractory to hormone deprivation. Therefore, new targets are needed to stop prostate cancer growth. In this study, we investigated whether Homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) affects AR signaling and prostate cancer cell growth. To do this, we utilized doxycycline-induced shRNA-mediated silencing of HIPK2 expression in 22Rv1 and LNCaP-95, two cell lines that are refractory to androgen deprivation, and demonstrated substantial knockdown of both HIPK2 mRNA and protein. In addition, we observed significant changes in AR target gene expression. To determine the effects of HIPK2 knockdown on AR subcellular localization, we fractionated control and doxycycline-treated 22Rv1 and LNCaP-95 cells. We observed modest changes in chromatin-bound AR upon HIPK2 depletion, suggesting that HIPK2 influences AR chromatin occupancy and in turn AR-dependent transcription. We also tested HIPK2 catalytic inhibitors by examining their effects on 22Rv1 and LNCaP-95 cellular proliferation, and phosphorylation a HIPK2 substrate, SIAH2. We found that HIPK2 inhibitors modestly affected the proliferation and substrate phosphorylation. Thus, HIPK2 can modulate AR activity, highlighting the role of HIPK2 as a new drug target for prostate cancer

Glucocorticoids via the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) have effects on a variety of cell types, eliciting important physiological responses via changes in gene expression and signaling. Although decades of research have illuminated the mechanism of how this important steroid receptor controls gene expression using in vitro and cell culture-based approaches, how GR responds to changes in external signals in vivo under normal and pathological conditions remains elusive. The goal of this review is to highlight recent work on GR action in fat cells and liver to affect metabolism in vivo and the role GR ligands and receptor phosphorylation play in calibrating signaling outputs by GR in the brain in health and disease. We also suggest that both the brain and fat tissue communicate to affect physiology and behavior and that understanding this "brain-fat axis" will enable a more complete understanding of metabolic diseases and inform new ways to target them.

URI is an unconventional prefoldin, RNA polymerase II interactor that functions as a transcriptional repressor, and is part of a larger nuclear protein complex. The components of this complex and the mechanism of transcriptional repression have not been characterized. Here we show that the KRAB-associated protein 1 (KAP1) and the protein phosphatase PP2A interact with URI. Mechanistically, we show that KAP1 phosphorylation is decreased following recruitment of PP2A by URI. We functionally characterize the novel URI-KAP1-PP2A complex, demonstrating a role of URI in retrotransposon repression, a key function previously demonstrated for the KAP1-SETDB1 complex. Microarray analysis of annotated transposons revealed a selective increase in the transcription of LINE-1 and L1PA2 retroelements upon knockdown of URI. These data unveil a new nuclear function of URI and identify a novel post-transcriptional regulation of KAP1 protein that may have important implications in reactivation of transposable elements in prostate cancer cells.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a highly aggressive pediatric bone cancer in which most tumor cells remain immature and fail to differentiate into bone-forming osteoblasts. However, OS cells readily respond to adipogenic stimuli suggesting they retain mesenchymal stem cell-like properties. Here we demonstrate that nuclear receptor PPARgamma agonists such as the anti-diabetic, thiazolidinedione (TZD) drugs induce growth arrest and cause adipogenic differentiation in human, mouse and canine OS cells as well as in tumors in mice. Gene expression analysis reveals that TZDs induce lipid metabolism pathways while suppressing targets of the Hippo-YAP pathway, Wnt signaling and cancer-related proliferation pathways. Significantly, TZD action appears to be restricted to the high Sox2 expressing cancer stem cell population and is dependent on PPARgamma expression. TZDs also affect growth and cell fate by causing the cytoplasmic sequestration of the transcription factors SOX2 and YAP that are required for tumorigenicity. Finally, we identify a TZD-regulated gene signature based on Wnt/Hippo target genes and PPARgamma that predicts patient outcomes. Together, this work highlights a novel connection between PPARgamma agonist in inducing adipogenesis and mimicking the tumor suppressive hippo pathway. It also illustrates the potential of drug repurposing for TZD-based differentiation therapy for osteosarcoma.

Development of resistance to anti-androgens for treating advanced prostate cancer is a growing concern, and extends to recently developed therapeutics, including enzalutamide. Therefore, new strategies to block androgen receptor (AR) function in prostate cancer are required. Here we report the characterization of a multivalent conjugate presenting two bioactive ethisterone ligands arrayed as spatially defined pendant groups on a peptoid oligomer. The conjugate, named Multivalent Peptoid Conjugate 6 (MPC6), suppressed the proliferation of multiple AR-expressing prostate cancer cell lines including those that failed to respond to enzalutamide and ARN509. The structure-activity relationships of MPC6 variants were evaluated, revealing that increased spacing between ethisterone moieties and changes in peptoid topology eliminated its anti-proliferative effect, suggesting that both ethisterone ligand presentation and scaffold characteristics contribute to MPC6 activity. Mechanistically, MPC6 blocked AR coactivator-peptide interaction, and prevented AR intermolecular interactions. Protease sensitivity assays suggested that the MPC6-bound AR induced a receptor conformation distinct from that of dihydrotestosterone- or enzalutamide-bound AR. Pharmacological studies revealed that MPC6 was metabolically stable and displayed a low plasma clearance rate. Notably, MPC6 treatment reduced tumor growth and decreased Ki67 and AR expression in mouse xenograft models of enzalutamide-resistant LNCaP-abl cells. Thus, MPC6 represents a new class of compounds with the potential to combat treatment-resistant prostate cancer.

To gain insight into cellular factors regulating AR action that could promote castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), we performed a genome-wide RNAi screen for factors that promote ligand-independent AR transcriptional activity and integrated clinical databases for candidate genes that are positively associated with prostate cancer metastasis and recurrence. From this analysis, we identified Dynein Axonemal Heavy Chain 8 (DNAH8) as an AR regulator that displayed higher mRNA expression in metastatic than in primary tumors, and showed high expression in patients with poor prognosis. Axonemal dyneins function in cellular motility, but the function of DNAH8 in prostate cancer or other cell types has not been reported. DNAH8 is on chromosome 6q21.2, a cancer-associated amplicon, and is primarily expressed in prostate and testis. Its expression is higher in primary tumors compared to normal prostate, and is further increased in metastatic prostate cancers. Patients expressing high levels of DNAH8 have a greater risk of relapse and a poor prognosis after prostatectomy. Depletion of DNAH8 in prostate cancer cells suppressed AR transcriptional activity and proliferation. Androgen treatment increased DNAH8 mRNA expression, and AR bound the DNAH8 promoter sequence indicating DNAH8 is an AR target gene. Thus, DNAH8 is a new regulator of AR associated with metastatic tumors and poor prognosis.

BACKGROUND:The liver X receptors (LXRs, NR1H2 and NR1H3) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG, NR1C3) nuclear receptor transcription factors (TFs) are master regulators of energy homeostasis. Intriguingly, recent studies suggest that these metabolic regulators also impact tumor cell proliferation. However, a comprehensive temporal molecular characterization of the LXR and PPARG gene regulatory responses in tumor cells is still lacking. METHODS:To better define the underlying molecular processes governing the genetic control of cellular growth in response to extracellular metabolic signals, we performed a comprehensive, genome-wide characterization of the temporal regulatory cascades mediated by LXR and PPARG signaling in HT29 colorectal cancer cells. For this analysis, we applied a multi-tiered approach that incorporated cellular phenotypic assays, gene expression profiles, chromatin state dynamics, and nuclear receptor binding patterns. RESULTS:Our results illustrate that the activation of both nuclear receptors inhibited cell proliferation and further decreased glutathione levels, consistent with increased cellular oxidative stress. Despite a common metabolic reprogramming, the gene regulatory network programs initiated by these nuclear receptors were widely distinct. PPARG generated a rapid and short-term response while maintaining a gene activator role. By contrast, LXR signaling was prolonged, with initial, predominantly activating functions that transitioned to repressive gene regulatory activities at late time points. CONCLUSIONS:Through the use of a multi-tiered strategy that integrated various genomic datasets, our data illustrate that distinct gene regulatory programs elicit common phenotypic effects, highlighting the complexity of the genome. These results further provide a detailed molecular map of metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells through LXR and PPARG activation. As ligand-inducible TFs, these nuclear receptors can potentially serve as attractive therapeutic targets for the treatment of various cancers.

Liver X receptors (LXR) are oxysterol-activated nuclear receptors that play a central role in reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) through upregulation of ATP-binding Cassette transporters (ABCA1 and ABCG1) that mediate cellular cholesterol efflux. Mouse models of atherosclerosis exhibit reduced atherosclerosis and enhanced regression of established plaques upon LXR activation. However, the coregulatory factors that affect LXR-dependent gene activation in macrophages remain to be elucidated. To identify novel regulators of LXR that modulate its activity, we used affinity purification and mass spectrometry to analyze nuclear LXRalpha complexes, and identified poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) as an LXR-associated factor. In fact, PARP-1 interacted with both LXRalpha and LXRbeta. Both depletion of PARP-1 and inhibition of PARP-1 activity augmented LXR ligand-induced ABCA1 expression in the RAW 264.7 macrophage line and primary bone marrow derived macrophages, but did not affect LXR-dependent expression of other target genes, ABCG1 and SREBP-1c. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed PARP-1 recruitment at the LXR response element in the promoter of the ABCA1 gene. Further, we demonstrated that LXR is poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated by PARP-1, a potential mechanism by which PARP-1 influences LXR function. Importantly, the PARP inhibitor, 3-aminobenzamide, enhanced macrophage ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux to the lipid-poor apolipoprotein AI (apoA-I). These findings shed light on the important role of PARP-1 on LXR-regulated lipid homeostasis. Understanding the interplay between PARP-1 and LXR may provide insights into developing novel therapeutics for treating atherosclerosis.