The androgen-induced protein AIbZIP facilitates proliferation of prostate cancer cells through downregulation of p21 expression

Androgen-Induced bZIP (AIbZIP) is structurally a bZIP transmembrane transcription factor belonging to the CREB/ATF family. This molecule is highly expressed in androgen-sensitive prostate cancer cells and is transcriptionally upregulated by androgen treatment. Here, we investigated molecular mechanism of androgen-dependent expression of AIbZIP and its physiological function in prostate cancer cells. Our data showed that SAM pointed domain-containing ETS transcription factor (SPDEF), which is upregulated by androgen treatment, directly activates transcription of AIbZIP. Knockdown of AIbZIP caused a significant reduction in the proliferation of androgen-sensitive prostate cancer cells with robust expression of p21. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that AIbZIP interacts with old astrocyte specifically induced substance (OASIS), which is a CREB/ATF family transcription factor, and prevents OASIS from promoting transcription of its target gene p21. These findings showed that AIbZIP induced by the androgen receptor (AR) axis plays a crucial role in the proliferation of androgen-sensitive prostate cancer cells, and could be a novel target of therapy for prostate cancer.