SOX15 transcriptionally increases the function of AOC1 to modulate ferroptosis and progression in prostate cancer

Amine oxidase copper-containing 1 (AOC1) is considered an oncogene in many types of tumors. Nevertheless, there have been no investigations of AOC1 and its regulatory mechanism in prostate cancer. Here, we reveal a novel action of AOC1 and a tumor suppressor mechanism in prostate cancer. AOC1 is downregulated in prostate cancer. Abatement of AOC1 in prostate cancer tissue is positively correlated with the tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and Gleason score for prostate cancer. Conversely, high expression of AOC1 is significantly associated with reduced proliferation and migration in prostate cancer both in vitro and in vivo. We show that the anticancer effect of AOC1 is mediated by its action on spermidine which leads to the activation of reactive oxygen species and ferroptosis. AOC1 expression in prostate cancer is positively regulated by the transcription factor SOX15. Therefore, SOX15 can transcriptionally promote AOC1 expression and strengthen this effect. Targeting AOC1 and SOX15 may be promising for the treatment of prostate cancer.