New plays in the p53 theater

Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2011 Feb;21(1):86-92. doi: 10.1016/j.gde.2010.10.002. Epub 2010 Nov 4.

Abstract

The p53 tumor suppressor and its paralogs p63 and p73 are at the crux of a network modulating cellular responses against potentially tumorigenic events. p53 acts primarily as a transcription factor, regulating the expression of both coding and non-coding RNAs, as well as the activity of RNA processing complexes. In line with their anti-tumorigenic function, p53 and p63 have recently been implicated in restricting tumor cell invasion. In parallel, a growing number of non-canonical target genes have been added to the p53 repertoire. These include genes encoding for proteins that impinge on a broad spectrum of cellular functions, from cell metabolism to stem cell renewal. The p53 story is still far from being fully told.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms / genetics
  • Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • RNA, Untranslated / genetics
  • Signal Transduction
  • Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism*

Substances

  • RNA, Untranslated
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53