Genistein induces Gadd45 gene and G2/M cell cycle arrest in the DU145 human prostate cancer cell line.

Genistein is the most abundant isoflavone of soybeans and has been shown to cause growth arrest in various human cancer cell lines. However, the precise mechanism for this is still unclear. We report here that the growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible gene 45 (gadd45) gene is induced by genistein via its promoter in a DU145 human prostate cancer cell line. The binding of transcription factor nuclear factor-Y to the CCAAT site of the gadd45 promoter appears to be important for this activation by genistein.