The LNCaP/C4-2 human
prostate cancer progression model was established to mimic phenotypic and genotypic changes during
prostate cancer development from
androgen dependence to
androgen independence, from nonmetastasis to
metastasis. In this study,
cDNA microarrays were performed using a microarray chip from Affymetrix to characterize and compare gene expression profiles in LNCaP and C4-2, which may provide novel insight into the molecular mechanism mediating
prostate cancer progression. Three hundred eighteen genes consistently exhibited differential expression in LNCaP and C4-2 in 2-time microarray data. Based on their function, the differentially expressed genes can be grouped into several subcategories, including
growth factors and signal transducers, oncogenes and
tumor suppressors,
tumor-specific
antigens, transcriptional factors, transporters, and factors involved in invasion,
metastasis, and metabolism. Some genes are novel and unexplored in
prostate cancer progression and are of potential interest for follow-up investigation. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time RT-PCR were performed to corroborate the microarray results, and 76 differentially expressed genes were validated out of 104 candidates. Expression pattern analyses were performed in these 76 differentially expressed genes, and a series of genes was found to be positively or negatively correlated to
prostate cancer progression in the LNCaP
prostate cancer progression model and to possess predominant prostate cell specificity. ELF5/ESE-2b and
long-chain acyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase (ACADL) expressions were found to be positively associated with malignant progression in LNCaP, C4-2, and C4-2B, and predominantly expressed in
prostate cancer cells. Functional evaluation revealed that ELF5/ESE-2b and ACADL expressions contributed to the malignant phenotypes of
prostate cancer cells. Accordingly, our microarray data may provide clues for finding novel genes involved in
prostate cancer progression to
androgen independent and
metastasis, and shed light on finding new targets for diagnosis and
therapy of
prostate cancer.