Expression data from LNCap cell line treated with COP1 (RFWD2), ETV1, and JUN siRNAs

The proto-oncogenes ETV1, ETV4, and ETV5 encode members of the E26 transformation-specific (ETS) transcription factor family, which includes the most frequently rearranged and overexpressed genes in prostate cancer. Despite being critical regulators of development, little is known about their post-translational regulation. Here we identify the ubiquitin ligase COnstitutive Photomorphogenic-1 (COP1, also called RFWD2) as a tumor suppressor that negatively regulates ETV1, ETV4, and ETV5. ETV1, which is the member mutated more frequently in prostate cancer, was degraded after being ubiquitinated by COP1. Truncated ETV1 encoded by prostate cancer translocation TMPRSS2:ETV1 lacks the critical COP1 binding motifs (degrons) and was 50-fold more stable than wild-type ETV1. Almost all patient translocations eliminate these ETV1 degrons, implying that translocations rendering ETV1 insensitive to COP1 confer a significant selective advantage to prostate epithelial cells. Indeed, COP1 deficiency in mouse prostate elevated ETV1 levels and produced increased cell proliferation, hyperplasia, and early prostate intraepithelial neoplasia. The combined loss of COP1 and PTEN enhanced the invasiveness of mouse prostate adenocarcinomas. Finally, relatively rare human prostate cancer samples showed hemizygous loss of the COP1 gene, loss of COP1 protein expression, and abnormally elevated ETV1 protein while lacking a translocation event. These findings identify COP1 as a bona fide tumor suppressor whose down-regulation promotes prostatic epithelial cell proliferation and tumorigenesis.

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Vitari AC, Leong KG, Newton K, Yee C, O'Rourke K, Liu J, Phu L, Vij R, Ferrando R, Couto SS, Mohan S, Pandita A, Hongo JA, Arnott D, Wertz IE, Gao WQ, French DM, Dixit VM