Decoding the molecular symphony: interactions between the m⁶A and p53 signaling pathways in cancer

The p53 tumor suppressor gene governs a multitude of complex cellular processes that are essential for anti-cancer function and whose dysregulation leads to aberrant gene transcription, activation of oncogenic signaling and cancer development. Although mutations can occur at any point in the genetic sequence, missense mutations comprise the majority of observed p53 mutations in cancers regardless of whether the mutation is germline or somatic. One biological process involved in both mutant and wild-type p53 signaling is the N ⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) epitranscriptomic network, a type of post-transcriptional modification involved in over half of all eukaryotic mRNAs. Recently, a significant number of findings have demonstrated unique interactions between p53 and the m⁶A epitranscriptomic network in a variety of cancer types, shedding light on a previously uncharacterized connection that causes significant dysregulation. Cross-talk between wild-type or mutant p53 and the m⁶A readers, writers and erasers has been shown to impact cellular function and induce cancer formation by influencing various cancer hallmarks. Here, this review aims to summarize the complex interplay between the m⁶A epitranscriptome and p53 signaling pathway, highlighting its effects on tumorigenesis and other hallmarks of cancer, as well as identifying its therapeutic implications for the future.