δ-Catenin Participates in EGF/AKT/p21 Signaling and Induces Prostate Cancer Cell Proliferation and Invasion.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most leading cause of death in males. Our previous studies have demonstrated that δ-catenin plays an important role in prostate cancer progression. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the regulation of δ-catenin has not been fully explored yet. In the present study, we found that δ-catenin could induce phosphorylation of p21 and stabilize p21 in the cytoplasm, thus blocking its nuclear accumulation for the first time. We also found that δ-catenin could regulate the interaction between AKT and p21, leading to phosphorylation of p21 at Thr-145 residue. Finally, EGF was found to be a key factor upstream of AKT/δ-catenin/p21 for promoting proliferation and metastasis in prostate cancer. Our findings provide new insights into molecular controls of EGF and the development of potential therapeutics targeting δ-catenin to control prostate cancer progression.