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Updated: Jul 15, 2026
14:57
Yeast As a Chassis for Developing Functional Assays to Study Human P53
Published on: August 4, 2019
Mutant p53: an oncogenic transcription factor.
S Strano1, S Dell'Orso, S Di Agostino
1Department of Experimental Oncology, Regina Elena Cancer Institute, Via delle Messi d'oro, Rome, Italy.
Oncogene
|April 3, 2007
Summary
Mutant p53 proteins, unlike wild-type, gain oncogenic functions in cancer. This review explores the molecular mechanisms, focusing on the transcriptional activity of mutant p53, which remains poorly understood.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Genetics
Background:
- Tumor suppressor gene inactivation is a hallmark of cancer.
- Mutations in the p53 gene occur in about half of human cancers.
- Mutant p53 proteins exhibit novel oncogenic functions beyond loss of wild-type activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the molecular mechanisms underlying the gain-of-function (GOF) of mutant p53 proteins.
- To focus on the transcriptional activity of mutant p53 as a key GOF mechanism.
- To highlight the current gaps in knowledge regarding mutant p53's transcriptional roles.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on studies investigating mutant p53.
- Analysis of research on the transcriptional activity of mutant p53.
- Synthesis of existing data to identify unanswered questions.
Main Results:
- Mutant p53 proteins acquire new oncogenic properties.
- These properties contribute to tumor initiation, progression, spread, and chemoresistance.
- Transcriptional activity is a significant, yet understudied, mechanism for mutant p53 GOF.
Conclusions:
- Mutant p53's gain of function is critical in cancer development and treatment resistance.
- Understanding mutant p53's transcriptional activity is crucial for deciphering its oncogenic roles.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the molecular mechanisms of mutant p53 transcriptional activity.
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