The
androgen receptor belongs to the
nuclear receptor superfamily and functions as a
ligand-dependent
transcription factor. It binds to the
androgen responsive
element and recruits coregulatory factors to modulate gene transcription. In addition, the
androgen receptor interacts with other
transcription factors, such as forkhead box A1, and other oncogenic signaling pathway molecules that bind
deoxyribonucleic acid and regulate transcription.
Androgen receptor signaling plays an important role in the development of
prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer cells proliferate in an
androgen-dependent manner, and
androgen receptor blockade is effective in
prostate cancer therapy. However, patients often progress to
castration-resistant
prostate cancer with elevated
androgen receptor expression and
hypersensitivity to
androgen. Recently, comprehensive analysis tools, such as
complementary DNA microarray,
chromatin immunoprecipitation-on-chip and
chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequence, have described the
androgen-mediated diverse transcriptional program and gene networks in
prostate cancer. Furthermore, functional and clinical studies have shown that some of the
androgen receptor-regulated genes could be prognostic markers and potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of
prostate cancer, particularly
castration-resistant
prostate cancer. Thus, identifying
androgen receptor downstream signaling events and investigating the regulation of
androgen receptor activity is critical for understanding the mechanism of
carcinogenesis and progression to
castration-resistant
prostate cancer.