Abstract A006: Loss of PMEPA1 gene isoform facilitates the development of hormone and radiation therapies resistance in prostate cancer cells
Authors: Sharad Shashwat , Li Hua 
Published: June 2023

Introduction: Nearly all the patients receiving hormone treatment eventually progress into castration resistance stage. In addition, approximately 30% to 40% of patients receiving radiation treatment will develop resistance. The aberrant alterations of androgen receptor (AR) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling play critical roles in such processes. Our studies identified five PMEPA1 (Prostate Transmembrane Protein Androgen Induced 1) gene isoforms in prostate cancer cells. PMEPA1-b isoform was androgen responsive and inhibited androgen signaling. In contrast, PMEPA1 isoforms a and d were TGF-β inducible and suppressed TGF-β signaling. Loss or reduced expressions of PMEPA1 was detected in over 60% of prostate cancer samples. In this study, we investigated the impacts of PMEPA1 isoforms (a, b and d) on the development of hormone and radiation therapies resistance in prostate cancer. Methods: RNA-seq data of unmatched 50 benign and 499 malignant prostate samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, as well as 101 metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) biopsy samples from Quigley lab at UCSF (WCDT dataset) were used to study the transcript levels of PMEPA1 isoforms (a, b and d) and their correlations to disease progression. Hormone dependent LNCaP cells and androgen independent PC-3, DU-145 cells were utilized to investigate the impacts of PMEPA1 isoforms (a, b and d) on the responses to of androgen inhibitors (enzalutamide and bicalutamide, 0, 5.0 and 25.0 nM) and radiation (0, 1.0 and 5.0 Gy). The vectors of pcDNA3.1-PMEPA1-a, -b and -d were transfected into prostate cancer cells via Lipofectamine, and endogenous PMEPA1 isoforms were knocked down by isoforms specific siRNAs. The cell growth was assessed by cell counting, BrdU incorporation and cell plating efficiency assays. The protein levels of AR and PSA were evaluated by immunoblotting. The transcript levels of PSA, NKX3.1, NEDD9 and THBS1 were assessed by RT-PCR technology. Results: The reduced transcript levels of PMEPA1 isoforms (a, b and d) were detected in mCRPC group. Lower expression of PMEPA1-b was significantly associated with earlier biochemical recurrence. The growth inhibition and androgen signaling blockage mediated by androgen inhibitors were explicitly reversed by depletion of PMEPA1-b in LNCaP cells. Ectopic PMEPA1-b in isoform b depleted LNCaP cells reinstituted the growth inhibition induced by androgen inhibitors. Knockdown of isoforms a and d conspicuously rescued the decreased cell proliferation and suppressed TGF-β signaling resulted from radiation treatment in PC-3 and DU-145 cells. Similarly, over-expression of PMEPA1-a and -d in siRNA treated cells recapitulated the growth inhibitory effects of radiation treatments. Conclusion: Loss of PMEPA1 gene isoforms (a, b and d) induced the development of resistance to hormone ablation and radiation treatments in prostate cancer cells in vitro through activating androgen and TGF-β signaling. Our research provided a new insight into treatment resistance mechanism of prostate cancer cells.

Citation Format: Shashwat Sharad, Hua Li. Loss of PMEPA1 gene isoform facilitates the development of hormone and radiation therapies resistance in prostate cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Advances in Prostate Cancer Research; 2023 Mar 15-18; Denver, Colorado. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A006.