Project description:The Androgen Receptor (AR) is the key-driving transcription factor in prostate cancer, tightly controlled by epigenetic regulation. To date, most epigenetic profiling has been performed in cell lines or limited tissue samples. To comprehensively study the epigenetic landscape, we complemented RNA-seq with ChIP-seq for AR and histone modification marks (H3K27ac, H3K4me3, H3K27me3) in 100 primary prostate carcinomas. Integrative molecular subtyping of the five data streams revealed three major subtypes of which two were clearly TMPRSS2-ERG dictated. Importantly, a third novel subtype was identified, with low AR chromatin binding and activity, even though the receptor was clearly expressed. While positive for neuroendocrine-hallmark genes, these tumors were copy number-neutral with low mutation burden, significantly depleted for genes characteristic of poor-outcome associated luminal B-subtype. We present a rich novel resource on transcriptional and epigenetic control in prostate cancer, revealing a tight control of gene regulation differentially dictated by AR over the three subtypes.
Project description:The Androgen Receptor (AR) is the key-driving transcription factor in prostate cancer, tightly controlled by epigenetic regulation. To date, most epigenetic profiling has been performed in cell lines or limited tissue samples. To comprehensively study the epigenetic landscape, we complemented RNA-seq with ChIP-seq for AR and histone modification marks (H3K27ac, H3K4me3, H3K27me3) in 100 primary prostate carcinomas. Integrative molecular subtyping of the five data streams revealed three major subtypes of which two were clearly TMPRSS2-ERG dictated. Importantly, a third novel subtype was identified, with low AR chromatin binding and activity, even though the receptor was clearly expressed. While positive for neuroendocrine-hallmark genes, these tumors were copy number-neutral with low mutation burden, significantly depleted for genes characteristic of poor-outcome associated luminal B-subtype. We present a rich novel resource on transcriptional and epigenetic control in prostate cancer, revealing a tight control of gene regulation differentially dictated by AR over the three subtypes.
