The emergence of mutations in the androgen receptor (AR) gene is a recurrent event during progression of prostate cancer (PCa) on androgen ablation therapy. In this study, we show that nonsense mutations that lead to carboxyl-terminal end truncated ARs are found at high frequency in metastatic PCas. Transcriptional activities of the Q640X mutant AR in the androgen-sensitive LNCaP cell line differ to those of the wild-type AR. Indeed, this mutant AR exhibits strong and ligand-independent transcriptional activities from an artificial promoter construct containing two repeats of androgen-responsive elements, but is inactive on the human PSA gene promoter. Nevertheless, the expression of the Q640X mutant AR in LNCaP cells is accompanied by an increase in the level of PSA protein, and by an increase in the expression of the endogenous AR gene. This enhanced expression of the endogenous AR gene is not limited to the sole transfected cells, but is observed in non-transfected neighboring cells. Additionally, in co-cultures of transfected and non-transfected LNCaP cells, the Q640X mutant AR leads to an unpredicted nuclear localization of the endogenous AR protein in the two cellular populations and this, in the absence of androgen. These data indicate that cells expressing the Q640X mutant AR acquire the property to emit a signal that activates the AR in neighboring cells by a paracrine mechanism and in a ligand-independent manner. Our data strongly support the notion of cooperation among tumor cells in PCa and could be of relevance for the understanding of progression on androgen ablation therapy. ' 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Key words: androgen receptor mutation; hormone-refractory prostate cancer; paracrine action; transcriptional activities; clonal cooperation Androgens are involved in the normal development of the prostate gland as well as in the progression of prostate cancer (PCa). Their actions are mediated by the androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway. The AR belongs to the nuclear receptor superfamily and is structured in 3 major domains necessary for liganddependent transcriptional activities. 1 The activation function AF-1 localized in the amino-terminal part of the AR is largely responsible for transactivation. 2 The central part of the AR contains the DNA binding domain (DBD), which is best conserved among the steroid hormone receptors subfamily, and allows specific recognition of androgen responsive element (ARE) in the promoter of AR target genes. The ligand binding domain (LBD) and the second activation function AF-2 are limited to the carboxyl-terminal end (CTE). This CTE plays an essential role in the regulation of AR transcriptional activities, being the site of ligand binding and allowing interactions with AR cofactors and with the amino terminus region of the AR. 3-5 Also, the CTE harbors 3 potential phosphorylation sites targeted by the EGFR (ser-650), c-erb2 (ser-791) and protein kinase A (ser-662) signaling pathways. 6-8 All these AR functional domains and phosphorylation sites can be affected by mut...

Missense mutations in the androgen receptor (AR) contribute to the failure of hormonal therapy for prostate cancer (PCa), but the underlying molecular bases remain uncharacterized. Here, we describe a new AR variant found in a hormone-refractory metastatic PCa, in which threonine 575 in the DNA binding domain, and threonine 877 in the ligand-binding domain, were both replaced by an alanine. Using gene reporter assays, we demonstrate that the T575A mutation weakened transcriptional activity from promoters containing AR-specific responsive elements, while activity from promoters with AR-non-specific elements was enhanced. Data from gel shift experiments revealed a preferential binding of the T575A mutant to AR-non-specific motifs. We demonstrate that the two mutations T575A and T877A cooperate to confer new functional properties on the AR, and that the mutant AR functions simultaneously as a promiscuous AR due to the T877A mutation, and an unfaithful AR due to the T575A mutation.