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Yeast As a Chassis for Developing Functional Assays to Study Human P53
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Published on: August 4, 2019

Human tumor suppressor p53 and DNA viruses

S Collot-Teixeira1, J Bass, F Denis

  • 1Department of Virology, Limoges University Teaching Hospital, CHRU Dupuytren, 2 avenue Martin Luther King, 87042 Limoges, France.

Reviews in Medical Virology
|August 31, 2004
PubMed

Insights

The human tumor suppressor protein p53 is crucial for preventing cancer. DNA viruses can inactivate p53, contributing to cancer progression by disrupting its function.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology
  • Virology

Background:

  • The p53 tumor suppressor protein is vital for cell cycle control and apoptosis, acting as a key defense against malignant transformation.
  • Approximately 50% of human tumors harbor p53 gene mutations, leading to a non-functional protein incapable of DNA binding and transcriptional activation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To summarize current knowledge on the p53 tumor suppressor protein.
  • To review the mechanisms employed by DNA viruses to impair p53 function.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing research on p53 and viral interactions.
  • Analysis of molecular mechanisms by which DNA viruses affect p53 structure and function.

Main Results:

  • Mutations in the p53 gene compromise its tumor-suppressive functions.
  • DNA viruses utilize viral oncoproteins to inhibit p53 activity, contributing to cancer development.

Conclusions:

  • p53 is a critical guardian of the genome, and its inactivation is a common event in cancer.
  • DNA viruses actively subvert p53 function through various molecular strategies, highlighting their role in oncogenesis.

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