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Updated: Jan 11, 2026

Yeast As a Chassis for Developing Functional Assays to Study Human P53
14:57

Yeast As a Chassis for Developing Functional Assays to Study Human P53

Published on: August 4, 2019

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Skewing p53 to tumor-suppressor targets

Leslie K Ferrarelli1

  • 1Science Signaling, AAAS, Washington, DC 20005, USA.

Science Signaling
|November 11, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Post-translational modification of p53 protein by citrullination enhances its tumor-suppressor activity. This modification redirects p53’s gene target selectivity, improving its cancer-fighting capabilities.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • The p53 protein is a critical tumor suppressor.
  • Dysregulation of p53 is common in many cancers.
  • Post-translational modifications regulate p53 function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of citrullination in p53 function.
  • To determine how citrullination affects p53’s interaction with its gene targets.
  • To explore the implications of citrullination for tumor suppression.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized mass spectrometry to identify citrullinated p53.
  • Performed chromatin immunoprecipitation assays to assess p53 binding to DNA.
  • Conducted gene expression analysis to evaluate p53 target gene regulation.

Main Results:

  • Identified specific citrullination sites on p53.
  • Demonstrated that citrullination alters p53’s DNA-binding profile.
  • Showed that citrullinated p53 preferentially binds to and regulates a distinct set of genes compared to unmodified p53.

Conclusions:

  • Citrullination is a novel post-translational modification that modulates p53 activity.
  • This modification enhances the tumor-suppressor function of p53 by altering its gene target selectivity.
  • Targeting p53 citrullination may offer new therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment.

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