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The androgen receptor (AR) plays critical roles in human prostate carcinoma progression and transformation. However, the activation of AR is regulated by co-regulators. MEIS1 protein, the homeodomain transcription factor, exhibited a decreased level in poor-prognosis prostate tumors. In this study, we investigated a potential interaction between MEIS1 and AR. We found that overexpression of MEIS1 inhibited the AR transcriptional activity and reduced the expression of AR target gene. A potential protein–protein interaction between AR and MEIS1 was identified by the immunoprecipitation and GST pull-down assays. Furthermore, MEIS1 modulated AR cytoplasm/nucleus translocation and the recruitment to androgen response element in prostate specific antigen ( PSA ) gene promoter sequences. In addition, MEIS1 promoted the recruitment of NCoR and SMRT in the presence of R1881. Finally, MEIS1 inhibited the proliferation and anchor-independent growth of LNCaP cells. Taken together, our data suggests that MEIS1 functions as a novel AR co-repressor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Widespread interest in the mechanism of transcriptional regulation by the androgen receptor (AR) has been stimulated by the finding that AR signaling is critically important in the progression of human prostate cancers. Co-factors, the co-repressors, or the co-activators are responsible for the regulation of AR activation. The pro-oncogene human Long Interspersed Nucleotide acid Element-1 (LINE-1) encodes LINE-1 ORF-1p and plays important roles in the development and progression of several human carcinomas. In this study, the results showed that LINE-1 ORF-1p increased the AR transcriptional activity and in turn enhanced the expression of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the presence of R1881. A physical protein–protein interaction between the AR signaling and the LINE-1 ORF-1p was identified by the immunoprecipitation assays and GST pull-down assays. Furthermore, LINE-1 ORF-1p would function as a novel AR positive co-regulator through modulating its cytoplasm/nucleus translocation and the recruitment to the androgen response element in the PSA gene promoter. Our date also showed that the LINE-1 ORF-1p promoted the proliferation and anchor-independent growth of LNCaP (ligand dependent) and PC-3 (ligand independent) human prostatic carcinoma cells. By investigating a novel role of the LINE-1 ORF-1p in the androgen/androgen receptor signaling pathway regulation, our study identifies that LINE-1 ORF-1p may be a novel AR co-regulator and molecular target for human prostate carcinoma therapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]