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Yeast As a Chassis for Developing Functional Assays to Study Human P53
14:57

Yeast As a Chassis for Developing Functional Assays to Study Human P53

Published on: August 4, 2019

p73 can suppress the proliferation of cells that express mutant p53

Amy C Willis1, Tara Pipes, Jianhui Zhu

  • 1Department of Cell Biology and UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.

Oncogene
|August 23, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Mutant p53 does not inactivate wild-type p73, which retains its tumor-suppressing abilities. Wild-type p53 and p73 cooperate to suppress cell proliferation in cancer cells.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Genetics
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • TP53 gene mutations are frequent in human cancers.
  • p73, a p53 family member, shares functional similarities with p53, including growth arrest and apoptosis induction.
  • Mutant p53 can exhibit dominant-negative activity, inhibiting wild-type p53 function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of mutant p53 on wild-type p73 function.
  • To analyze the interaction between mutant p53 and wild-type p73beta in a controlled cellular system.

Main Methods:

  • Establishment of dual-inducible cell lines expressing mutant p53 and wild-type p73beta in a p53-null background.
  • Utilized a tetracycline-repressible system for mutant p53 and an ecdysone-inducible system for p73beta.
  • Assessed transactivation of p21, cell growth suppression, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis.

Main Results:

  • Wild-type p73beta maintained its ability to transactivate p21 and induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, even in the presence of mutant p53.
  • Mutant p53 did not inactivate wild-type p73beta's tumor-suppressive functions.
  • Wild-type p53 and wild-type p73beta showed cooperative, additive transactivation of p21 and suppression of cell proliferation.

Conclusions:

  • Mutant p53 does not interfere with wild-type p73beta's tumor suppressor activity.
  • Wild-type p53 and p73 can cooperate to inhibit cancer cell growth, suggesting potential therapeutic strategies targeting these pathways.

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