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Yeast As a Chassis for Developing Functional Assays to Study Human P53
Published on: August 4, 2019
A comprehensive study of p53 protein
Manisha R Patil1, Anand Bihari2
1Department of Computer-Applications, School of Information Technology and Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Abstract:
The protein p53 has been extensively investigated since it was found 43 years ago and has become a "guardian of the genome" that regulates the division of cells by preventing the growth of cells and dividing them, that is, inhibits the development of tumors. Initial proof of protein existence by researchers in the mid-1970s was found by altering and regulating the SV40 big T antigen termed the A protein. Researchers demonstrated how viruses play a role in cancer by employing viruses' ability to create T-antigens complex with viral tumors, which was discovered in 1979 following a viral analysis and cancer analog research. Researchers later in the year 1989 explained that in Murine Friend, a virus-caused erythroleukemia, commonly found that p53 was inactivated to suggest that p53 could be a "tumor suppressor gene." The TP53 gene, encoding p53, is one of human cancer's most frequently altered genes. The protein-regulated biological functions of all p53s include cell cycles, apoptosis, senescence, metabolism of the DNA, angiogenesis, cell differentiation, and immunological response. We tried to unfold the history of the p53 protein, which was discovered long back in 1979, that is, 43 years of research on p53, and how p53's function has been developed through time in this article.
Insights
The protein p53, a crucial tumor suppressor, guards the genome by regulating cell division and preventing tumor growth. Decades of research reveal its complex roles in cell cycles, apoptosis, and immune response, highlighting its significance in cancer biology.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Cancer Research
Background:
- The protein p53, discovered 43 years ago, acts as a
- guardian of the genome
- regulating cell division and inhibiting tumor development.
- Its initial identification involved the SV40 big T antigen, with early research in 1979 linking viruses to cancer via T-antigens.
- By 1989, p53 was recognized as a potential tumor suppressor gene due to its inactivation in virus-induced erythroleukemia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To trace the historical discovery and evolution of the p53 protein's functions.
- To elucidate the 43-year research journey of p53 since its identification in 1979.
- To detail the expanding understanding of p53's biological roles over time.
Main Methods:
- Historical literature review of p53 research.
- Analysis of key studies from the mid-1970s to 1989.
- Examination of the TP53 gene and its encoded p53 protein functions.
Main Results:
- p53's discovery in the mid-1970s and its link to SV40.
- Confirmation of p53's tumor suppressor role by 1989.
- Identification of TP53 as a frequently altered gene in human cancers.
- p53's diverse functions including cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, and immune response.
Conclusions:
- p53 is a critical tumor suppressor with a well-documented history of research.
- The understanding of p53's multifaceted biological functions has significantly evolved.
- The TP53 gene and p53 protein remain central to cancer research and therapeutic strategies.
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