Myc-dependent purine biosynthesis regulates the expression of oncogenes and tumour suppressors in prostate cancer cells

ABSTRACT: Prostate cancer is the commonest male cancer in Europe and the USA. The androgen receptor is a key transcription factor contributing to the development of all stages of the disease. In addition, other transcription factors have been associated with poor prognosis in prostate cancer, amongst which c-Myc is a well-established oncogene in many other cancers. We have previously reported that a role for the androgen receptor in prostate cancer is to promote glycolysis and anabolic metabolism. Many of these metabolic pathways are also c-Myc-regulated in other cancers. In this study we report that de novo purine biosynthesis is a c-Myc-dependent pathway in prostate cancer cells as determined by commensurate changes in the levels of enzymes in the pathway in response to siRNA knockdown of c-Myc and inducible overexpression of c-Myc. In addition c-Myc is recruited to the promoters of genes in the pathway as determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation. Using immunohistochemistry and real-time transcript detection we show that two enzymes (PAICS and IMPDH2) within the pathway are overexpressed in prostate cancers. An inhibitor of IMPDH2 reduces cell proliferation and significantly reduces the levels of guanosine triphosphate within treated cells. This imposes nucleolar stress on cells as determined by significant reductions in the levels of guanine nucleotide binding protein-like 3 (GNL3). In addition the levels of c-Myc, p53 and the androgen receptor are affected and the expression of tumour suppressive microRNA-34b is increased. Combining the IMPDH2 inhibitor with anti-androgens results in a combinatorial inhibition of cell proliferation. In conclusion we propose using enzymes within the de novo purine biosynthesis as cancer biomarkers and applying drugs to alter the flux through this pathway may represent an effective means of stratifying patients for therapy and sensitising some to AR-targeted therapies.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE51384 | GEO | 2016/03/17

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA222856

REPOSITORIES: GEO