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MUC1-C regulates lineage plasticity driving progression to neuroendocrine prostate cancer

  • Yota Yasumizu
  • , Hasan Rajabi
  • , Caining Jin
  • , Tsuyoshi Hata
  • , Sean Pitroda
  • , Mark D. Long
  • , Masayuki Hagiwara
  • , Wei Li
  • , Qiang Hu
  • , Song Liu
  • , Nami Yamashita
  • , Atsushi Fushimi
  • , Ling Kui
  • , Mehmet Samur
  • , Masaaki Yamamoto
  • , Yan Zhang
  • , Ning Zhang
  • , Deli Hong
  • , Takahiro Maeda
  • , Takeo Kosaka
  • Kwok K. Wong, Mototsugu Oya, Donald Kufe
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
  • The University of Osaka
  • The University of Chicago
  • Roswell Park Cancer Institute
  • Keio University
  • New York University

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

133 Scopus citations

Abstract

Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is an aggressive malignancy with no effective targeted therapies. The oncogenic MUC1-C protein is overexpressed in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and NEPC, but its specific role is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that upregulation of MUC1-C in androgen-dependent PC cells suppresses androgen receptor (AR) axis signaling and induces the neural BRN2 transcription factor. MUC1-C activates a MYC→BRN2 pathway in association with induction of MYCN, EZH2 and NE differentiation markers (ASCL1, AURKA and SYP) linked to NEPC progression. Moreover, MUC1-C suppresses the p53 pathway, induces the Yamanaka pluripotency factors (OCT4, SOX2, KLF4 and MYC) and drives stemness. Targeting MUC1-C decreases PC self-renewal capacity and tumorigenicity, suggesting a potential therapeutic approach for CRPC and NEPC. In PC tissues, MUC1 expression associates with suppression of AR signaling and increases in BRN2 expression and NEPC score. These results highlight MUC1-C as a master effector of lineage plasticity driving progression to NEPC.

Original languageEnglish
Article number338
JournalNature Communications
Volume11
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2020

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