AT-rich interaction domain 5A regulates the transcription of interleukin-6 gene in prostate cancer cells

Background Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine that confers androgen-independence and aggressiveness in prostate cancer (PCa); however, the molecular mechanisms regulating IL-6 expression remain unclear. The expression of ARID5A, an AT-rich interaction domain (ARID) DNA-binding motif-containing transcription factor is positively correlated with IL-6 expression in human PCa. We, therefore, hypothesized that ARID5A could regulate IL-6 expression in PCa. Methods The relationship between ARID5A and IL-6 in PCa patients was analyzed using statistical analyses of multiple clinical microarray data sets. To investigate whether ARID5A regulates IL-6 expression, CRISPR-driven ARID5A knockout clones were established in DU145 and PC-3 cells. Results Analysis of three microarray data sets showed a positive correlation between ARID5A and IL-6 expression. The expression of IL-6 in ARID5A knockout clones was significantly reduced compared with control clones in both PCa cell lines. Knockout of ARID5A did not result in any loss of IL-6 mRNA stability. Instead, we observed a significant decrease in the occupancy of both active RNA Polymerase II and the active histone mark, H3K4me3 at the IL-6 transcriptional start site in ARID5A knockout PCa cells, suggesting a role for transcriptional regulation. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that loss of ARID5A downregulates the expression of IL-6 at the transcriptional level.