Androgens Modulate Bcl-2 Agonist of Cell Death (BAD) Expression and Function in Breast Cancer Cells.

ABSTRACT: Androgen receptor (AR) expression in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer (BC) correlates with lower tumor grade and a better clinical outcome. Additionally, in normal mammary epithelium or ER+ BC preclinical models, androgens counteract basal/ER-dependent proliferation. Here, we report an additional mechanism, underlining the protective role exerted by AR. Specifically, the activation of intracellular AR upregulates the Bcl-2-family protein BAD, and TCGA database analyses show that in ER+ BC, BAD expression is associated with better disease-free survival. Ligand-activated AR influences its own and BAD cellular compartmentalization by enhancing levels in the nucleus, as well as in mitochondrial fractions. In both compartments, BAD exerts unconventional functions. In the nucleus,

SUBMITTER: Morelli C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10487823 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature