Nonmalignant AR-positive prostate epithelial cells and cancer cells respond differently to androgen

Prostate cancer research suffers from the lack of suitable models to study the role of normal cells in prostate carcinogenesis. To address this challenge, we developed a cell line model mimicking luminal prostate epithelial cells by modifying the immortalized prostate epithelial cell line RWPE-1 to constitutively express the androgen receptor (AR). RWPE-1-AR cells express known AR target genes, and exhibit coexpression of luminal and basal markers characteristic of transient amplifying cells, and an RNA signature resembling prostate luminal progenitor cells. Under unstimulated conditions, constitutive AR expression does not have a biologically significant effect on the proliferation of RWPE-1 cells, but when stimulated by androgens, growth is retarded. The transcriptional response of RWPE-1-AR cells to androgen stimulation involves suppression of the growth-related KRAS pathway and is thus markedly different from that of the prostate cancer cell line LNCaP and its derivative AR-overexpressing LNCaP-ARhi cells, in which growth- and cancer-related pathways are upregulated. Hence, the nonmalignant AR-positive RWPE-1-AR cell line model could be used to study the transformation of the prostate epithelium.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Comparison of Planktonic Microbial Diversity in Two Watersheds on the Dingle Peninsula

Anthropogenic impacts on water quality in coastal ecosystems is of increasing concern given current land-use and population patterns. In particular, sustainable development in areas of high population/tourism pressure in coastal watersheds is of concern and demands an understanding of the complex relationships between the “natural” and “human” systems affecting the ecosystem. Two adjacent watersheds on the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland (Dingle and Ballyferriter) provide an interesting opportunity to separate the effects of natural/agricultural impacts (Balleyferriter) vs. natural/agricultural/tourism (Dingle) effects on water quality in the primary river systems draining the two watersheds. As part of a larger effort to conduct a thorough environment assessment of the two watersheds, we have completed an initial 16S rRNA community profile of the planktonic microbial communities in the Milltown (Dingle) and Feohanagh (Ballyferriter) rivers. Our data indicate substantial and significant differences both within and between sample sites in the different river systems. In addition, instances of clear relationships between microbial community composition and both stream level classification/surrounding terrestrial habitat are apparent