Activation of GPR30 inhibits the growth of prostate cancer cells through sustained activation of Erk1/2, c-jun/c-fos-dependent upregulation of p21, and induction of G(2) cell-cycle arrest

Cell Death Differ. 2010 Sep;17(9):1511-23. doi: 10.1038/cdd.2010.20. Epub 2010 Mar 5.

Abstract

G-protein-coupled receptor-30 (GPR30) shows estrogen-binding affinity and mediates non-genomic signaling of estrogen to regulate cell growth. We here showed for the first time, in contrast to the reported promoting action of GPR30 on the growth of breast and ovarian cancer cells, that activation of GPR30 by the receptor-specific, non-estrogenic ligand G-1 inhibited the growth of androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer (PCa) cells in vitro and PC-3 xenografts in vivo. However, G-1 elicited no growth or histological changes in the prostates of intact mice and did not inhibit growth in quiescent BPH-1, an immortalized benign prostatic epithelial cell line. Treatment of PC-3 cells with G-1 induced cell-cycle arrest at the G(2) phase and reduced the expression of G(2)-checkpoint regulators (cyclin-A2, cyclin-B1, cdc25c, and cdc2) and phosphorylation of their common transcriptional regulator NF-YA in PC-3 cells. With extensive use of siRNA-knockdown experiments and the MEK inhibitor PD98059 in this study, we dissected the mechanism underlying G-1-induced inhibition of PC-3 cell growth, which was mediated through GPR30, followed by sustained activation of Erk1/2 and a c-jun/c-fos-dependent upregulation of p21, resulting in the arrest of PC-3 growth at the G(2) phase. The discovery of this signaling pathway lays the foundation for future development of GPR30-based therapies for PCa.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Cell Cycle / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects*
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 / genetics
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 / metabolism*
  • Cyclopentanes / pharmacology
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / metabolism*
  • Flavonoids / pharmacology
  • G2 Phase / drug effects*
  • Gene Expression / drug effects
  • Gene Expression / genetics
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / metabolism
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / metabolism
  • Quinolines / pharmacology
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • Receptors, Estrogen / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / agonists*
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / genetics
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • 1-(4-(6-bromobenzo(1,3)dioxol-5-yl)-3a,4,5,9b-tetrahydro-3H-cyclopenta(c)quinolin-8-yl)ethanone
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • CDKN1A protein, human
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21
  • Cyclopentanes
  • Flavonoids
  • GPER1 protein, human
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun
  • Quinolines
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Receptors, Estrogen
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases
  • MAPK1 protein, human
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3
  • 2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one