Androgen receptor activity is required for the initiation and development of prostate cancer. When activated by hormones, androgen receptor binds to DNA in the cell nucleus and regulates gene expression with the help of molecules called coactivators, including SRC3. As a result, genes create more or less of specific proteins in the cell, which can affect cell behavior. Although androgen receptor needs coactivators such as SRC3 to have an effect, little has been known about precisely how androgen receptor interacts with its coactivators.

VARI researchers used peptide profiling and other techniques of molecular biology to discover that SRC3 is a preferred coactivator for androgen receptor. They went on to determine the crystal structures that reveal how androgen receptor and SRC3 interact at the molecular level. This detailed information could be used to develop new, more effective treatments that disrupt interaction between the two proteins.

Source: Van Andel Research Institute