Mutant p53 gains RNA-binding activity to reprogram translation and mitochondrial function

Tumor suppressor p53 is a transcription factor mutated in ∼50% of cancers. Somatic mutations in the DNA-binding domain abolish tumor suppression and thus lead to a loss-of-function activity, while a small subset of recurrent "hotspot" mutants have been shown to confer gain-of-function activities. Using an intein-based μMap photoproximity labeling approach, we map the interactomes of five hotspot mutants and find that mutant p53 (mut p53) acquires interactions with RNA-binding proteins, shifts toward the cytoplasm, and shows increased proximity to structured RNA and RNA-binding proteins. CLIP (Cross-linking and immunoprecipitation) experiments show that mut p53 possesses an RNA-binding motif and is enriched at 3'UTRs, promoting ribosomal localization and localization at the mitochondrial surface. Using ribosome profiling, we further show that mut p53 alters translation and promotes changes in miRNA processing and mitochondrial function, providing a mechanistic rationale for historically reported but poorly understood phenotypes.