Oncogenic transcription factor targets

Transcription factors ERG and AR (prostate cancer), ER (breast cancer), CTNNB1 (colorectal cancer), GLI1 and PAX3-FOXO1 fusion (Rhabodomyosarcoma) have been shown to be critical for the formation of tumors. The purpose of this study was to identify common targets of these transcription factors. We used microarrays to study gene expression in response to modulating these transcription factors by RNAi (ERG, CTNNB1, GLI1, PAX3-FOXO1) or their ligands (AR and ER). Cancer cell lines were treated with with two siRNAs in duplicates to knock down the targeted TFs or, in the case of hormone receptor TFs AR and ER, stimulated with their natural ligands to induce the activity of these TFs. RNA was extracted and hybridized on Affymetrix microarrays.