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PubMed1993

A correlative study of p53 protein alteration and p53 gene mutation in glioblastoma multiforme.

The p53 tumor suppressor gene is frequently mutated in glioblastomas. Mutations within the p53 gene often result in aberrant expression of the p53 protein leading to protein accumulation within the nucleus of the cells which can be detected by immunochemistry. Many studies have correlated alterations of p53 protein expression with p53 gene mutations. Positive staining of tumor cells for p53 protein has been widely assumed, perhaps incorrectly, to signify the presence of p53 gene mutations. This study compared the immunostaining patterns for p53 protein in 37 glioblastomas with the molecular genetic data obtained by the single strand conformation polymorphism assay. p53 gene mutations were detected in 46% (17 of 37) of glioblastomas, while 65% (24 of 37) of glioblastomas were positive for protein accumulation by immunohistochemistry. Although 30 of 37 glioblastomas analyzed showed concordance for p53 protein expression and p53 gene mutations, a subset of seven glioblastomas showed discordant accumulation of the p53 protein in the absence of any detectable p53 gene mutations. The mdm-2 gene was assessed in 17 glioblastomas for gene rearrangements or amplification, but none were found. This result suggests that a mechanism other than p53 gene mutation can result in altered p53 protein expression.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMed2005

A genomic map of p53 binding sites identifies novel p53 targets involved in an apoptotic network.

The transcriptional activity of the p53 protein is central to its role in tumor suppression. Identification of the complete repertoire of p53-regulated genes is critical for dissecting the complexity of the p53 network. Although several different approaches have been used to characterize the p53 genetic program, we still lack a comprehensive molecular understanding of how p53 prevents cancer. Using a computational approach, we generated a genome-wide map of p53 binding sites (p53BS) to identify novel p53 target genes. We show that the presence of nearby p53BS can identify new proapoptotic members of the Bcl2 family. We show that p53 binds to p53BS identified in the BCL-G/BCL2L14 gene and that induction of this gene contributes to p53-mediated apoptosis. We found that p53 activates the COL18A1 gene encoding the precursor for the antiangiogenic factor endostatin. We also show that p53 up-regulates the MAP4K4 gene and activates the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway to drive apoptosis. Thus, unbiased mapping of the genomic landscape of p53BS provides a systematic and complementary approach to identify novel factors and connections in the p53 genetic network. Our study illustrates how systematic genomic approaches can identify binding sites that are functionally relevant for a p53 transcriptional program. The genetic link among p53, antiangiogenic factors, and the JNK signaling pathway adds new dimensions to understanding p53 function in highly connected genetic networks.

Apoptosis↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Rearrangement of p53 gene with overexpressed p53 protein in primary cervical cancer.

The frequency of p53 mutations is low and there is evidence of p53 protein overexpression even without p53 mutations in cervical cancers. This suggests that alternative mechanisms other than p53 mutation could be responsible for tumourigenesis of the uterine cervix. Therefore, an attempt has been made in the present investigation to analyze mutation and rearrangement of p53 gene in primary cervical cancers. The results indicated absence of mutation and presence of rearrangement in about 35% of cervical cancer patients. However, p53 overexpression in 50% of patients was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Further, rearrangement of p53 has been correlated with p53 mRNA and p53 protein status. The results indicated presence of overexpressed p53 protein in the samples with rearranged p53 gene. Thus, it is presumed that rearrangement of p53 might lead to production of defective p53 protein by affecting the level of p53 protein and this might have a role in the process of tumourigenesis. This study reports for the first time rearrangement of p53 in cervical cancers.

Blotting, Southern↗

PubMed1993

Several mutant p53 proteins detected in cancer-prone families with Li-Fraumeni syndrome exhibit transdominant effects on the biochemical properties of the wild-type p53.

The identification of germ-line mutations in the p53 gene has provided a situation where comparable amounts of wild-type and mutant p53 co-exist in constitutional cells of certain individuals who are cancer-prone. Here we report the biochemical characteristics of several Li-Fraumeni syndrome associated mutant p53 proteins in order to assess the influence of germ-line mutant p53 on the functions of the wild-type p53. Unlike 248W mutant p53 protein, which was previously shown to have no effect on the wild-type p53 conformation (Milner & Medcalf, 1991; Cell 65, 765-774), germ-line associated mutant p53 proteins with residue 133T, 245D or 258K, converted the wild-type p53 conformation into the mutant conformation. Furthermore, lysates containing cotranslated wild-type p53 and these mutant p53 proteins were significantly impaired for DNA and SV40 large T antigen binding. These observations suggest that at least some germ-line p53 mutants might exhibit dominant effects on wild-type p53 functions and, like other mutant p53 proteins, the phenotype of germ-line mt p53 proteins might be variable depending on the particular mutation.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1996

Circulating anti-p53 antibodies in esophageal cancer patients are found predominantly in individuals with p53 core domain mutations in their tumors.

Serum antibodies reacting with the tumor suppressor protein p53 have been detected previously in cancer patients with a variety of neoplasms. Two initial (although insufficient) prerequisites for a B-cell response to occur have been proposed: p53 protein accumulation in the tumor or a mutant p53 gene, or both. We have examined 65 esophageal cancer cases (42 from Guangzhou and Shenyang, People's Republic of China, and 23 from Paris, France) to obtain a prevalence estimate of anti-p53 antibodies for this type of cancer and to define the relationship of p53 tumor status to B-cell immune response. Sera were analyzed in a triplicate assay (enzyme-linked immunoassay, immunoprecipitation, and immunoblot) for anti-p53 antibodies. Tumor DNA was screened for mutations in exons 5-8, and tumor tissue was examined by immunohistochemistry for abnormal p53 protein accumulation. p53 mutations were found in 36 (58%) of 62 cases analyzed. Sixteen patients (25%) had circulating antibodies to the tumor suppressor protein. All but two (88%) of the tumors from seropositive cases had a mutation in the DNA binding region of the p53 gene, and with one exception, these tumors also showed nuclear accumulation of the p53 protein. In contrast, tumor mutations were found in just 22 (46%) of the 48 individuals in whom we did not detect anti-p53 antibodies. Among the 22 seronegative cases for which we found no tumor mutations, 11 revealed p53 protein accumulation by immunohistochemical analysis. Thus, circulating anti-p53 antibodies may be present in one-fourth of esophageal cancer patients, most of whom also would be expected to have a p53 gene mutation in their tumors. Patients without such mutations appear considerably less likely to mount a B-cell response to the p53 tumor suppressor protein than those that do (P < 0.01).

Adult↗

PubMed1996

p53 gene mutation in relation to p53 protein accumulation in male and female breast cancer.

The aim of this investigation was to study the prevalence of p53 gene mutations in male and female breast cancers and to find out the relationship between this event and p53 protein expression. Genomic p53 was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Exons 5-8 were screened for mutations using single stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. P53 protein expression was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) with the monoclonal antibody DO-1. In female breast cancer, p53 gene mutation was detected in 33% cases in either exon 5 or 6. However, in male, mutation was detected only in exon 6 in 90% cases. On the other hand, p53 protein expression was observed in all of these cases. Moreover, p53 protein immunostaining was observed in some of those cancer tissues, where no mutation was detected in exons 5-8. P53 dysfunction, as indicated by mutation or increased protein expression, common in both male and female breast cancer, but rate of occurrence or site of mutation differ from each other. Our results in male breast tumors indicate a positive correlation between p53 mutation and p53 protein overexpression, whereas the results in female breast tumors indicate an overexpression of p53 protein even without p53 gene mutation. Therefore, it may be presumed that p53 protein accumulation can result primarily from mutation. In addition, stabilization of p53 through binding to other proteins is another possible reason of p53 overexpression.

Breast Neoplasms↗

PubMed2005

Functional analysis of p53 gene and the prognostic impact of dominant-negative p53 mutation in endometrial cancer.

In addition to the loss of function, mutant p53 can possess a dominant-negative effect on wild-type p53 and may also exert gain-of-function activity. It is not clear whether the functional status of p53 mutation contributes to differences in outcome in endometrial cancer. We collected a total of 92 RNA samples of high quality from endometrial cancer tissues, and the samples were subjected to yeast functional assay and sequencing for p53 mutations. The detected mutant p53 genes were further investigated for their dominant-negative activity using a yeast-based transdominance assay. p53 mutation was found in 24 out of 92 (26.1%) tumors, of which 10 exhibited no dominant-negative activity (recessive mutation) and 14 showed dominant-negative activity. Dominant-negative p53 mutation was related to advanced stages (p = 0.01), nonendometrioid type tumors (p = 0.01) and grade 3 tumors (p = 0.04). The patients with dominant-negative mutation had significantly shorter survival than patients with no mutation (p < 0.0001) and those with a recessive mutation (p = 0.01) in the p53 gene. No difference in survival was found between the patients with tumors harboring a recessive p53 mutation and those with tumors harboring a wild-type p53. Multivariate analysis revealed that dominant-negative p53 mutation (p = 0.019), FIGO stage (p = 0.0037) and histologic subtype (p = 0.014) were independently related to patient survival. Dominant-negative p53 mutation was the most important prognostic factor for stage III/IV endometrial cancer (p = 0.0023). In conclusion, dominant-negative p53 mutation is often found in advanced stages and aggressive histologic subtypes of endometrial cancer and it is a strong predictor of survival of patients with advanced endometrial cancer. To elucidate further the role of p53 mutation in endometrial cancer, it is necessary to investigate gain-of-function activity involving dominant-negative p53 mutant proteins.

Biological Assay↗

PubMed1999

Inhibition of mutant p53 phosphorylation at serine 15 or serine 315 partially restores the function of wild-type p53.

The tumor suppressor protein p53 is a phosphoprotein and has growth and transformation suppression functions. Phosphorylation of wild-type p53 is known to modulate its function. To investigate the role of phosphorylation in modulating the functions of mutant p53, we constructed a series of phosphorylation site mutants based on mutant p53 Ala143 (p53-143) and p53 His175 (p53-175). When transfected into p53-negative Saos-2 cells, parental mutant p53-143 and p53-175 abolished both growth suppression and induction of apoptosis. However, DNA-activated protein kinase (DNA-PK) or cyclin-dependent kinase (cdks) phosphorylation site double mutants partially restored the growth suppression and induction of apoptosis and recovered the p53-specific DNA binding activity. We also observed a difference in sensitivity to calpain from parental mutants p53-175 and p53-175/15 or p53-175/315. These results suggest that the lack of phosphorylation at either the DNA-PK or cdks site in p53 mutants partially restores the wild-type functions by altering their conformation.

Apoptosis↗

PubMed2004

Heterozygous p53-deficient (+/-) mice develop fewer p53-negative preneoplastic focal liver lesions in response to treatment with diethylnitrosamine than do wild-type (+/+) mice.

In the present study p53+/- and p53+/+C57BL/6 female mice were administered diethylnitrosamine (DEN) once each week for 15-20 weeks. After sacrifice we analyzed the number and size of preneoplastic liver lesions, and found that the same numbers of lesions of similar sizes developed in the two genotypes of mice. We also distinguished between two phenotypes: 'p53-positive' and 'p53-negative' lesions (i.e. lesions with or without a p53 response to DNA damage, as assessed by immunohistochemical staining for p53 24 h after administration of a challenging dose of DEN). In wild-type mice we found the same proportion of p53-positive and p53-negative lesions as in rats, i.e. about 75% of the lesions were p53-negative. However, the number and the percentage of p53-negative lesions were lower in +/- mice (17%, P < 0.05). These results were confirmed by Western blot analysis revealing a clear p53 response in lesions only in the case of +/- mice. These findings support our previous conclusion that an attenuated p53 response in preneoplastic lesions compared to normal tissue may give these lesions a growth advantage under conditions of subchronic genotoxic stress. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the presence of only one functional p53 allele in p53+/- mice is sufficient to counteract the growth advantage that such an attenuated p53 response appears to confer.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Mitochondrial p53 levels parallel total p53 levels independent of stress response in human colorectal carcinoma and glioblastoma cells.

p53 can eliminate damaged cells through the induction of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. Recent observations have provided strong evidence that a fraction of total p53 translocates to mitochondria specifically in response to a death stimulus. Unexpectedly, mutant p53, which is expressed at much higher levels than wild type in unstressed cells, is apparently always present at the mitochondria, independent of apoptotic signal. This prompted us to ask whether cell lines with intact p53-dependent apoptosis and cell cycle arrest pathways exist in which the mitochondrial localization of wild-type p53, like that of mutant, is independent of a death stimulus and instead, correlates with the total p53 levels. Here, we document that human HCT116 colorectal carcinoma cells treated with adriamycin or 5-fluorouracil (5FU) can accumulate total p53 to equally high levels, and mitochondrial p53 to proportionate levels, although only 5FU treatment provoked p53-dependent apoptosis. Along the same line, HCT116 derivatives with increased basal p53 levels, and glioblastoma cells with a doxycycline-inducible p53, also revealed proportionate mitochondrial p53 levels, and even unstressed HCT116 cells had some p53 located at the mitochondria. Finally, mitochondrial and total p53 showed distinct post-translational modifications. Thus, cell lines exist in which the mitochondrial p53 levels parallel total levels independent of apoptosis.

Blotting, Western↗

PubMed2006

Small-molecule modulators of p53 family signaling and antitumor effects in p53-deficient human colon tumor xenografts.

p53 deficiency is common in almost all human tumors and contributes to an aggressive chemo- or radiotherapy-resistant phenotype, therefore providing a target for drug development. Molecular targeting to restore wild-type p53 activity has been attempted in drug development and has led to the identification of CP-31398, PRIMA1, and the Nutlins. However, strategies targeting p53-activated transcriptional responses or p53 family member expression in p53-deficient tumors have yet to be explored. Here we demonstrate the use of noninvasive bioluminescence imaging in a high-throughput cell-based screen of small molecules that activate p53 responses and cell death in human tumor cells carrying a mutant p53. We isolated a number of small molecules that activate p53 reporter activity, increase expression of p53 target genes such as p21(WAF1) or death receptor 5 (KILLER/DR5) of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), and induce apoptosis in p53-deficient cells. Some of the compounds activate a p53 response by increasing p73 expression, and knockdown of transactivating isoforms of p73 by small interfering RNA reduces their induction of p53-responsive transcriptional activity. Some compounds do not induce significant p73 expression but induce a high p53-responsive transcriptional activity in the absence of p53. In vivo experiments demonstrate potent antitumor effects of selected compounds, using either HCT116/p53(-/-) or DLD1 human colon tumor xenografts. The results establish the feasibility of a cell-based drug screening strategy targeting the p53 transcription factor family of importance in human cancer and provide lead compounds for further development in cancer therapy.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Regulation of p53 stability and p53-dependent apoptosis by NADH quinone oxidoreductase 1.

The tumor suppressor gene wild-type p53 encodes a labile protein that accumulates in cells after different stress signals and can cause either growth arrest or apoptosis. One of the p53 target genes, p53-inducible gene 3 (PIG3), encodes a protein with significant homology to oxidoreductases, enzymes involved in cellular responses to oxidative stress and irradiation. This fact raised the possibility that cellular oxidation-reduction events controlled by such enzymes also may regulate the level of p53. Here we show that NADH quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) regulates p53 stability. The NQO1 inhibitor dicoumarol caused a reduction in the level of both endogenous and gamma-irradiation-induced p53 in HCT116 human colon carcinoma cells. This reduction was prevented by the proteasome inhibitors MG132 and lactacystin, suggesting enhanced p53 degradation in the presence of dicoumarol. Dicoumarol-induced degradation of p53 also was prevented in the presence of simian virus 40 large T antigen, which is known to bind and to stabilize p53. Cells overexpressing NQO1 were resistant to dicoumarol, and this finding indicates the direct involvement of NQO1 in p53 stabilization. NQO1 inhibition induced p53 degradation and blocked wild-type p53-mediated apoptosis in gamma-irradiated normal thymocytes and in M1 myeloid leukemic cells that overexpress wild-type p53. Dicoumarol also reduced the level of p53 in its mutant form in M1 cells. The results indicate that NQO1 plays an important role in regulating p53 functions by inhibiting its degradation.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

One mechanism for cell type-specific regulation of the bax promoter by the tumor suppressor p53 is dictated by the p53 response element.

Key to the function of the tumor suppressor p53 is its ability to activate the transcription of its target genes, including those that encode the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 and the proapoptotic Bax protein. In contrast to Saos-2 cells in which p53 activated both the p21 and bax promoters, in MDA-MB-453 cells p53 activated the p21 promoter, but failed to activate the bax promoter. Neither phosphorylation of p53 on serines 315 or 392 nor an intact C terminus was required for p53-dependent activation of the bax promoter, demonstrating that this differential regulation of bax could not be explained solely by modifications of these residues. Further, this effect was not due to either p73 or other identified cellular factors competing with p53 for binding to its response element in the bax promoter. p53 expressed in MDA-MB-453 cells also failed to activate transcription through the p53 response element of the bax promoter in isolation, demonstrating that the defect is at the level of the interaction between p53 and its response element. In contrast to other p53 target genes, like p21, in which p53-dependent transcriptional activation is mediated by a response element containing two consensus p53 half-sites, activation by p53 of the bax element was mediated by a cooperative interaction of three adjacent half-sites. In addition, the interaction of p53 with its response element from the bax promoter, as compared with its interaction with its element from the p21 promoter, involves a conformationally distinct form of the protein. Together, these data suggest a potential mechanism for the differential regulation of p53-dependent transactivation of the bax and p21 genes.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2002

Nuclear degradation of p53 occurs during down-regulation of the p53 response after DNA damage.

The principal regulator of p53 stability is HDM2, an E3 ligase that mediates p53 degradation via the ubiquitin-26S proteasome pathway. The current model holds that p53 degradation occurs exclusively on cytoplasmic proteasomes and hence has an absolute requirement for nuclear export of p53 via the CRM-1 pathway. However, proteasomes are abundant in both cytosol and nucleus, and no studies have been done to determine under what physiological circumstances p53 degradation might occur in the nucleus. We analyzed HDM2-mediated degradation of endogenous p53 in the presence of various nuclear export inhibitors of CRM-1, including leptomycin B (LMB), a noncompetitive, specific, and fast-acting inhibitor; and HTLV1-Rex protein, a potent competitive inhibitor. We found that significant HDM2-mediated p53 degradation took place in the presence of LMB or HTLV1-Rex, indicating that endogenous p53 degradation occurs locally in the nucleus, in parallel to cytoplasmic degradation. Moreover, p53 null cells that coexpressed export-defective mutants of p53 and HDM2 retained partial competence for p53 degradation. It is important that nuclear degradation of p53 occurred during the poststress recovery phase of a p53 response, after DNA damage ceased. We propose that the capability of local p53 degradation within the nucleus provides a tighter and faster control during the down-regulatory phase, when an active p53 program needs to be turned off quickly.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗

PubMed1999

Plasma p53 protein and anti-p53 antibody expression in vinyl chloride monomer workers in Taiwan.

Vinyl chloride (VC) workers are known to be at risk for development of angiosarcoma of the liver (ASL), a rare tumor. Previously, a study of p53 gene mutations in tumors of VC-exposed workers found that 50% of liver angiosarcomas contained such mutations. Mutant p53 oncoprotein and anti-p53 antibodies can also be found in the sera of ASL patients and VC-exposed workers without cancer. Workers in Taiwan have also been exposed to VC, and some have contracted liver tumors. In this study, we used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to detect mutant p53 protein and anti-p53 antibodies in the plasma of VC-exposed workers in Taiwan. Thirty-three of 251 (13.2%) VC-workers tested positive for the p53 overexpression (10% with positive mutant p53 protein and 3.6% with positive anti-p53) in their plasma, but only 2 of 36 controls (5.6%) tested positive (2.8% with positive mutant p53 protein and 2.8% with positive anti-p53). There was a significant association between cumulative VC exposure concentration and positive p53 expression (P = 0.032) among VC workers after we adjusted for age, hepatitis, drinking, and smoking status. In summary, P53 overexpression (mutant p53 protein or anti-p53 antibody) can be found in the plasma of VC workers in Taiwan, and a significant dose-response relationship exists between plasma p53 overexpression and VC cumulative exposure concentration.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Site-specific binding of wild-type p53 to cellular DNA is inhibited by SV40 T antigen and mutant p53.

Wild-type p53 protein was shown to bind specifically to DNA sequences within SV40 (Bargonetti et al. 1991), the human ribosomal gene cluster (RGC) (Kern et al. 1991a), and the murine muscle creatine kinase gene (MCK) (Zambetti et al. 1992). However, a direct comparison of these three sites was not performed. Here we demonstrate, by filter binding and gel mobility-shift assays, that wild-type p53 binds with similar affinities to MCK and RGC sites but less tightly to the SV40 site. We examined the effects of two candidate regulators of p53 function, SV40 large T antigen and oncogenic mutant p53, on the binding of wild-type p53 to RGC DNA. We show that wild-type T antigen prevents p53 from binding to the RGC site under all conditions tested. Moreover, two temperature-sensitive mutant SV40 T antigens, which fail to transform cells at the nonpermissive temperature, prevent p53 from binding to the RGC site at the permissive, but not at the restrictive, temperature. The ability of complexes containing wild-type p53 and tumor-derived mutant p53 proteins to bind to RGC DNA varies according to the position of the mutation. Complexes containing wild-type and either his175 or his273 mutant p53 proteins are completely unable to bind to the RGC DNA sequence. Interestingly, a complex containing wild-type p53 and the trp248 mutant p53 characteristic of Li-Fraumeni syndrome patients displays nearly wild-type levels of binding. Perhaps this mutant allele can be tolerated in these individuals because the wild-type mutant p53 complex maintains the ability to bind to DNA. Our data indicate that the oncogenic potential of both T antigen and some mutant p53 proteins is the result of their ability to block binding of wild-type p53 to DNA.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Direct interaction of the hepatitis B virus HBx protein with p53 leads to inhibition by HBx of p53 response element-directed transactivation.

Hepatitis B virus is a major risk factor in human hepatocellular carcinomas. We have used protein affinity chromatography to show that the 17-kDa hepatitis B virus gene product, HBx, binds directly to the human tumor suppressor gene product, p53. Interaction of HBx with p53 did not prevent p53 from specifically binding DNA. Instead, HBx enhanced p53's oligomerization state on a DNA oligonucleotide containing a p53 response element. Optimal binding of HBx to p53 required intact p53, but weaker binding to both the N-terminal activation domain of p53 and a protein fragment containing the C-terminal DNA-binding and oligomerization domains of p53 was observed. In transient transfection experiments with human Calu-6 cells, HBx inhibited transactivation by p53 of a reporter gene containing a p53 response element. Also, HBx inhibited p53-stimulated transcription in vitro even when added to the reaction mixture after the formation of the preinitiation complex. Interaction of HBx with p53 did not prevent the activation domain of p53 from binding two general initiation factors, the TATA-box binding protein subunit of TFIID and the p62 subunit of TFIIH. To explain these results, we propose that localization of HBx to a promoter by interaction with DNA-bound p53 enables a repression domain in HBx to directly contact the basal transcription machinery and thereby repress transcription.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2003

The proline repeat domain of p53 binds directly to the transcriptional coactivator p300 and allosterically controls DNA-dependent acetylation of p53.

The transcription coactivator p300 cannot acetylate native p53 tetramers, thus revealing intrinsic conformational constraints on p300-catalyzed acetylation. Consensus site DNA is an allosteric effector that promotes acetylation of p53, suggesting that p300 has an undefined conformationally flexible interface within the p53 tetramer. To identify such conformationally responsive p300-binding sites, p300 was subjected to peptide selection from a phage-peptide display library, a technique that can define novel protein-protein interfaces. The enriched p300-binding peptides contained a proline repeat (PXXP/PXPXP) motif, and five proline repeat motifs actually reside within the p53 transactivation domain, suggesting that this region of p53 may harbor the second p300 contact site. p300 binds in vitro to PXXP-containing peptides derived from the proline repeat domain, and PXXP-containing peptides inhibit sequence-specific DNA-dependent acetylation of p53, indicating that p300 docking to both the LXXLL and contiguous PXXP motif in p53 is required for p53 acetylation. Deletion of the proline repeat motif of p53 prevents DNA-dependent acetylation of p53 by occluding p300 from the p53-DNA complex. Sequence-specific DNA places an absolute requirement for the proline repeat domain to drive p53 acetylation in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was used to show that the proline repeat deletion mutant p53 is bound to the p21 promoter in vivo, but it is not acetylated, indicating that proline-directed acetylation of p53 is a post-DNA binding event. The PXXP repeat expands the basic interface of a p300-targeted transactivation domain, and proline-directed acetylation of p53 at promoters indicates that p300-mediated acetylation can be highly constrained by substrate conformation in vivo.

Acetylation↗