This model of prostate cancer is based on the observation that the Drosophila adult male accessory gland acts as a functional homolog of the mammalian prostate. It was hypothesized that normal cell growth and migration of secondary cells in the accessory gland may be regulated by Drosophila orthologs of known regulators of human prostate cancer progression. A number of the genes in this category are highly expressed in the male accessory gland; for several these, including CadN, knockdown via RNAi was shown to result in changes in the number or migration of the secondary cells. (FBrf0226167)
Cadherins are a diverse group of transmembrane receptors which mediate cell-cell adhesion and cell movement. Dmel\CadN is one of multiple cadherins in flies; there are also many cadherins in human. A low-scoring ortholog of Dmel\CadN, human CDH1, has been implicated in susceptibility to prostate cancer (MIM:192090).
Amorphic mutations of Dmel\CadN result in embryonic lethality. For assessment of function in the accessory gland, RNAi-mediated knockdown of CadN was controlled by using a temperature-sensitive driver and targeting newly eclosed, newly mated males. Knockdown of CadN results in a decrease in the number of secondary cells compared to controls; the phenotype is variable with incomplete penetrance. Physical and genetic interactions of Dmel\CadN have been characterized; see below and in the gene report for CadN.
[updated Dec. 2016 by FlyBase; FBrf0222196]
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men and is usually very slowly progressive; it is diagnosed in an estimated 80% of men who reach age 80 (http://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer; 2016.12.20).
The cadherin ("calcium-dependent adhesion") superfamily represents a diverse group of transmembrane receptors which mediate cell-cell adhesion and cell movement. (FBrf0146675)
See 'Gene Family: Cadherins' (http://www.genenames.org/cgi-bin/genefamilies/set/16) and 'Gene Family: Cadherin related (CDHR)' (http://www.genenames.org/cgi-bin/genefamilies/set/24).
Many to many (not all listed).
Many to many (not all listed).
Low-scoring ortholog of human cadherin-related CDH23 (most closely related), human type I cadherin CDH15, and multiple others (many Drosophila to many human). Dmel\CadN shares 26% identity and 40% similarity with human CDH23.
