Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men in Western countries, and there is still an urgent need for a better understanding of PCa progression to inspire new treatment strategies. Skp2 is a substrate-recruiting component of the E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, whose activity is regulated through neddylation. Slug is a transcriptional repressor involved in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, which may contribute to therapy resistance. Although Skp2 has previously been associated with a mesenchymal phenotype and prostate cancer progression, the relationship with Slug deserves further elucidation. We have previously shown that a high Gleason score (≥8) is associated with higher Skp2 and lower E-cadherin expression. In this study, significantly increased expression of Skp2, AR, and Slug, along with E-cadherin downregulation, was observed in primary prostate cancer in patients who already had lymph node metastases. Skp2 was slightly correlated with Slug and AR in the whole cohort (Rs 0.32 and 0.37, respectively), which was enhanced for both proteins in patients with high Gleason scores (Rs 0.56 and 0.53, respectively) and, in the case of Slug, also in patients with metastasis to lymph nodes (Rs 0.56). Coexpression of Skp2 and Slug was confirmed in prostate cancer tissues by multiplex immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy. The same relationship between these two proteins was observed in three sets of prostate epithelial cell lines (PC3, DU145, and E2) and their mesenchymal counterparts. Chemical inhibition of Skp2, but not RNA interference, modestly decreased Slug protein in PC3 and its docetaxel-resistant subline PC3 DR12. Importantly, chemical inhibition of Skp2 by MLN4924 upregulated p27 and decreased Slug expression in PC3, PC3 DR12, and LAPC4 cells. Novel treatment strategies targeting Skp2 and Slug by the neddylation blockade may be promising in advanced prostate cancer, as recently documented for other aggressive solid tumors.

• Klíčová slova
• Skp2 (S-phase kinase-associated protein 2), Slug, immunohistochemistry, multiplex, neddylation, prostate cancer,
• MeSH
• androgenní receptory genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• antitumorózní látky farmakologie   MeSH
• buňky PC-3 MeSH
• CD antigeny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• cyklopentany farmakologie   MeSH
• docetaxel farmakologie   MeSH
• epitelo-mezenchymální tranzice genetika   MeSH
• inhibitor p27 cyklin-dependentní kinasy genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• kadheriny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• lymfatické metastázy MeSH
• malá interferující RNA genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• nádorové buněčné linie MeSH
• nádory prostaty genetika   metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• posttranslační úpravy proteinů * MeSH
• prostata metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• protein NEDD8 genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• proteiny asociované s kinázou S-fáze antagonisté a inhibitory   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• pyrimidiny farmakologie   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese u nádorů MeSH
• rodina transkripčních faktorů Snail genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• stupeň nádoru MeSH
• viabilita buněk účinky léků   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• androgenní receptory MeSH
• antitumorózní látky MeSH
• CD antigeny MeSH
• CDH1 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• cyklopentany MeSH
• docetaxel MeSH
• inhibitor p27 cyklin-dependentní kinasy MeSH
• kadheriny MeSH
• malá interferující RNA MeSH
• NEDD8 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• pevonedistat MeSH Prohlížeč
• protein NEDD8 MeSH
• proteiny asociované s kinázou S-fáze MeSH
• pyrimidiny MeSH
• rodina transkripčních faktorů Snail MeSH
• SKP2 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• SNAI1 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč

Skp2 is a crucial component of SCFSkp2 E3 ubiquitin ligase and is often overexpressed in various types of cancer, including prostate cancer (PCa). The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in PCa progression. The acquisition of a mesenchymal phenotype that results in a cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotype in PCa was described. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the expression and localization of Skp2 in clinical samples from patients with PCa, the association of Skp2 with EMT status, and the role of Skp2 in prostate CSC. We found that nuclear expression of Skp2 was increased in patients with PCa compared to those with benign hyperplasia, and correlated with high Gleason score in PCa patients. Increased Skp2 expression was observed in PCa cell lines with mesenchymal and CSC-like phenotype compared to their epithelial counterparts. Conversely, the CSC-like phenotype was diminished in cells in which SKP2 expression was silenced. Furthermore, we observed that Skp2 downregulation led to the decrease in subpopulation of CD44+CD24- cancer stem-like cells. Finally, we showed that high expression levels of both CD24 and CD44 were associated with favorable recurrence-free survival for PCa patients. This study uncovered the Skp2-mediated CSC-like phenotype with oncogenic functions in PCa.

• MeSH
• antigen CD24 genetika   MeSH
• antigeny CD44 genetika   MeSH
• buňky PC-3 MeSH
• epitelo-mezenchymální tranzice * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• myši nahé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• nádorové buněčné linie MeSH
• nádorové kmenové buňky metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• nádory prostaty genetika   metabolismus   patofyziologie   MeSH
• proteiny asociované s kinázou S-fáze genetika   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese u nádorů * MeSH
• stupeň nádoru MeSH
• xenogenní modely - testy antitumorózní aktivity MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antigen CD24 MeSH
• antigeny CD44 MeSH
• CD24 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• CD44 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• proteiny asociované s kinázou S-fáze MeSH
• SKP2 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč