Project description:Transcription factors ERG and AR (prostate cancer), ER (breast cancer), CTNNB1 (colorectal cancer), GLI1 and PAX3-FOXO1 fusion (Rhabodomyosarcoma) have been shown to be critical for the formation of tumors. The purpose of this study was to identify common targets of these transcription factors. We used microarrays to study gene expression in response to modulating these transcription factors by RNAi (ERG, CTNNB1, GLI1, PAX3-FOXO1) or their ligands (AR and ER).
Project description:The forkhead box transcription factor FOXQ1 is aberrantly induced in various cancers, and contributes to tumour growth and metastasis. It has been suggested that the oncogenic potential of FOXQ1 may be explained by its activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. However, the mode of action of FOXQ1 in the Wnt pathway remains to be resolved. Here we report that FOXQ1 is bimodal transcriptional regulator of Wnt target gene expression in normal and cancer cells. Using co-immunoprecipitation, proximity proteomics, and reporter assays, we show that FOXQ1 partly engages the Wnt transcriptional complex to promote gene expression via TCF/LEF transcription factors.