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Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Yeast As a Chassis for Developing Functional Assays to Study Human P53
Published on: August 4, 2019
Posttranslational modification of p53: cooperative integrators of function
David W Meek1, Carl W Anderson
1Biomedical Research Institute, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK. d.w.meek@dundee.ac.uk
Abstract:
The p53 protein is modified by as many as 50 individual posttranslational modifications. Many of these occur in response to genotoxic or nongenotoxic stresses and show interdependence, such that one or more modifications can nucleate subsequent events. This interdependent nature suggests a pathway that operates through multiple cooperative events as opposed to distinct functions for individual, isolated modifications. This concept, supported by recent investigations, which provide exquisite detail as to how various modifications mediate precise protein-protein interactions in a cooperative manner, may explain why knockin mice expressing p53 proteins substituted at one or just a few sites of modification typically show only subtle effects on p53 function. The present article focuses on recent, exciting progress and develops the idea that the impact of modification on p53 function is achieved through collective and integrated events.
Insights
The p53 protein undergoes numerous posttranslational modifications that work together. These cooperative events, rather than individual changes, collectively regulate p53 protein function.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Cellular Stress Response
Background:
- The p53 protein is a critical tumor suppressor.
- p53 is regulated by extensive posttranslational modifications (PTMs).
- Over 50 distinct PTMs have been identified for p53.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the collective impact of p53 posttranslational modifications.
- To emphasize the interdependent nature of p53 PTMs.
- To present recent findings on cooperative modification events.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent scientific literature.
- Analysis of experimental data on p53 modification.
- Investigation of protein-protein interactions mediated by p53 PTMs.
Main Results:
- p53 PTMs exhibit significant interdependence, forming cooperative pathways.
- Individual p53 modifications often have subtle effects.
- Collective PTMs precisely regulate protein-protein interactions.
Conclusions:
- p53 function is regulated by integrated and collective modification events.
- The cooperative model explains the subtle phenotypes observed in singly or sparsely modified p53.
- Understanding these collective events is key to comprehending p53 regulation.
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