Pioneer factor FOXA1 defines GATA2- and AR-mediated transcriptional program in prostate cancer [gene expression]

AR is tightly regulated by many transcriptional cofactors, including key pioneer factor such as FOXA1 and GATA2. While FOXA1 was recently shown to be able to redistribute AR across the genome, how GATA2 regulates AR cistrome has not been carefully investigated. Here, we report that, unlike FOXA1, GATA2 is unable to reprogram AR, but instead it enhances AR program by inducing AR expression and augmenting AR co-occupancy, thereby acting as a pure AR coactivator, rather than a pioneer factor. On the other hand, AR co-occupancy enhances both GATA2 and FOXA1 binding on the chromatin, forming a positive feedback loop. Importantly, we found that FOXA1 is also capable of reprogramming GATA2 by recruiting GATA2 from GATA motif to FKHD-containing regions, being analogous to its pioneering effect on AR signaling. By contrast, GATA2 simply acts as a co-activator of FOXA1 with a lack of pioneering ability. genetic_modification_design