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Updated: May 13, 2026
09:45
Mosaic Zebrafish Transgenesis for Functional Genomic Analysis of Candidate Cooperative Genes in Tumor Pathogenesis
Published on: March 31, 2015
Aberrant BAF57 signaling facilitates prometastatic phenotypes
Sucharitha Balasubramaniam1, Clay E S Comstock, Adam Ertel
1Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA.
Summary
Elevated BAF57 expression in prostate cancer bypasses androgen signaling, promoting metastasis. This finding establishes BAF57 as a potential marker for metastatic prostate cancer and a therapeutic target.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Chromatin Remodeling
Background:
- BAF57 is a component of the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex.
- BAF57 influences androgen receptor activity in prostate cancer.
- The role of BAF57 in advanced prostate cancer, including castration-resistant disease and metastasis, is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular consequences of tumor-associated BAF57 expression in advanced prostate cancer.
- To determine the association of BAF57 expression with tumor grade and metastatic potential.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemical analysis of BAF57 expression in human prostate cancer specimens.
- Global gene expression profiling in models of aberrant BAF57 expression.
- Validation of BAF57-dependent gene expression changes, signaling bypass, and SWI/SNF complex alterations.
- Cell migration assays to assess phenotypic changes.
Main Results:
- BAF57 expression significantly and aberrantly increases with prostate tumor grade.
- BAF57 deregulation bypasses androgen-mediated signaling and upregulates α2 integrin.
- BAF57-induced α2 integrin promotes cell migration and metastatic potential.
- BAF57 is markedly upregulated in metastatic prostate cancer tissues.
Conclusions:
- Tumor-associated BAF57 perturbation promotes novel prometastatic phenotypes by bypassing androgen signaling.
- BAF57 upregulation is linked to prostate cancer tumor dissemination.
- BAF57 is a potential marker of metastatic potential and a target for therapeutic intervention.
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