The Rich World of p53 DNA Binding Targets: The Role of DNA Structure

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Václav Brázda1, Miroslav Fojta1

  • 1Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|November 14, 2019
PubMed

Insights

The tumor suppressor protein p53 (also known as TP53) interacts with DNA, regulating cell functions. This review details p53

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • The p53 protein is a crucial tumor suppressor involved in cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, senescence, and metabolism.
  • p53 functions primarily as a transcription factor, binding to specific DNA sequences to regulate gene expression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the diverse DNA binding targets of p53.
  • To discuss the functional implications of p53's extensive DNA interactions for its regulatory roles.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on p53-DNA interactions.
  • Analysis of p53 binding to canonical and non-canonical DNA sequences.
  • Examination of p53 binding to non-B DNA structures.

Main Results:

  • p53 binds to a variety of DNA targets, not limited to strict consensus sequences.
  • The p53 consensus binding site exhibits variability across different target genes.
  • p53 demonstrates high-affinity binding to numerous non-B DNA structures, including Holliday junctions and quadruplex DNA.

Conclusions:

  • p53's interaction with a wide range of DNA structures contributes to its complex tumor suppressor functions.
  • Understanding the diversity of p53 DNA binding is essential for comprehending its multifaceted regulatory roles in cellular processes.
Keywords:
consensus sequencecruciformlocal DNA structuresp53protein-DNA interactions

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