From Androgen Receptor to the General Transcription Factor TFIIH

It is suggested that the AR may interact with TFIIH for efficient communication with the general transcription factors/RNA polymerase II on the core promoter.

Abstract

The androgen receptor (AR), like other steroid receptors, modulates the activity of the general transcription machinery on the core promoter to exert its function as a regulator. Co-immunoprecipitation of prostate cancer LNCaP cell extract using protein A-Sepharose coupled with anti-AR antibody indicates that the AR interacts with the general transcription factor TFIIH in a physiological condition. Co-transfection of cdk activating kinase (CAK), the kinase moiety of TFIIH, enhanced AR-mediated transcription in a ligand-dependent manner in human prostate cancer PC-3 and LNCaP cells, and in a ligand-independent manner in human prostate cancer DU145 cells. Detailed interaction studies further revealed that the AR NH(2)-terminal domain interacting with CAK was essential for the CAK-induced AR transactivation. Together, our data suggest that the AR may interact with TFIIH for efficient communication with the general transcription factors/RNA polymerase II on the core promoter.