Relation between the expression of p63 and androgen receptor in the rat ventral prostate and in RWPE-1 cells

• Grant number: 14/22225-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: January 01, 2015
• End date: September 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Cytology and Cell Biology
• Principal Investigator: Hernandes Faustino de Carvalho
• Grantee: Júlio César de Oliveira Santana
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 09/16150-6 - Androgen regulation, sinalization and cellular interactions in prostate development, physiology and regression, AP.TEM

Abstract

RWPE-1 cells present two populations. One express p63 and the other express the androgen receptor (AR). This pattern correlates with the prostatic induction from the urogenital sinus epithelium, when cells expressing p63 respond to andromedins and give rise to prostate budding. In this process part of the cells will continue to express p63 and become basal cells, while others stop expressing p63 and start expressing AR and become luminal secretory cells. In our hands, RWPE-1 cells are induced to differentiation of p63+ cells into AR+ cells (or are enriched in these later) by the treatment with laminin-rich extracelular matrix or even laminin-derived peptides. In this project, we seek to understand how the transition between the phenotypes are regulated, what controls the reciprocal inhibition of p63 and AR and how the extracellular matrix interferes in this process. Aspects of this recirprocal regulation will be studied in rodent ventral prostates. For this task, we will use cell culture techniques, RNA-seq and CHIP-seq.