Modulation of the Canonical Wnt Activity by Androgen Signaling in Prostate Epithelial Basal Stem Cells
January 2020
in “
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
”
TLDR Androgen signaling reduces Wnt activity, affecting prostate stem cell growth.
The study investigated the interaction between canonical Wnt signaling and androgen signaling in prostate epithelial basal stem cells. It was found that while Wnt activity was necessary for the multipotency of these stem cells, it did not promote their differentiation into luminal cells. Androgen signaling, particularly through dihydrotestosterone (DHT), was shown to antagonize Wnt-stimulated growth in organoid cultures, suggesting that androgen signaling could regulate Wnt activity. Molecular analyses indicated that androgen signaling down-regulated Wnt target genes and enhanced the binding of androgen receptors and β-catenin in the nuclei, highlighting a critical role of androgen receptor signaling in modulating Wnt activity to regulate stem cell multipotency.