Mapping the androgen receptor cistrome reveals a novel program controlling the growth of androgen-independent prostate cancer

LB-180The androgen receptor (AR) is a ligand-dependent transcription factor that is essential for the initiation and development of prostate cancer. Previous studies have found that AR is expressed in the vast majority of prostate cancers. Reducing the levels of AR expression significantly reduces both androgen-dependent (ADPCa) and androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPCa) growth, suggesting that AR signaling pathways play a major role in both phases of the disease. Here we have mapped the AR cistrome (cis-regulatory targets of a trans-acting factor across the genome) in both ADPCa and AIPCa cells by combining chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) with human whole genome tiled microarrays. Using a false discovery rate of 5% we have identified ~8,700 AR binding sites in ADPCa and ~6,400 AR binding regions in AIPCa cells. Correlation of AR binding sites with activated and basal AR …