The long noncoding RNA lncZBTB10 facilitates AR function via S-palmitoylation to promote prostate cancer progression and abiraterone resistance.

Abstract

Background: Activation of androgen receptor (AR) by androgen binding to its ligand-binding domain (LBD) has led to the development of clinical drugs that target androgen biosynthesis or the LBD of AR for the treatment of prostate cancer patients. While these drugs initially offer clinical benefits, the emergence of drug resistance is inevitable after a certain duration of treatment.

Objectives: Exploring alternative AR domains or identifying novel mechanisms for AR activation is crucial for advancing prostate cancer therapies.

Methods: A systematic bioinformatic analysis identified novel androgen-responsive long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in prostate cancer, which were verified using loss-of-function and gain-of-function strategies in vitro and in vivo.

Results: lncZBTB10 or LINC02986 was overexpressed in prostate cancer specimens and correlated with poor clinical outcomes. Mechanistically, our findings elucidate the pivotal role of lncZBTB10 in facilitating AR function by inducing S-palmitoylation. Moreover, the interaction between lncZBTB10 and AR not only fosters but also orchestrates biomolecular condensates within the nucleus driven by a novel RNA-binding domain, particularly in prostate cancer cells. Notably, the overexpression of lncZBTB10 not only promotes tumor growth in vivo but also triggers abiraterone resistance in vitro by inducing AR expression.

Conclusions: These results collectively reveal a novel mechanism by which lncZBTB10 regulates AR function in prostate cancer cells.