Surf the post-translational modification network of p53 regulation

• Published in: International journal of biological sciences Vol. 8; no. 5; pp. 672 - 684
• Main Authors: Gu, Bo, Zhu, Wei-Guo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia Ivyspring International Publisher 01.01.2012
• Subjects: Acetylation; Apoptosis - drug effects; Homeostasis; Humans; Methylation; Phosphorylation; Protein Conformation - drug effects; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Review; Sumoylation; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - genetics; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - metabolism; Ubiquitination; semiotic system; protein-protein interaction; post-translational modification; crosstalk; p53
• ISSN: 1449-2288; 1449-2288
• DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.4283

Among the human genome, p53 is one of the first tumor suppressor genes to be discovered. It has a wide range of functions covering cell cycle control, apoptosis, genome integrity maintenance, metabolism, fertility, cellular reprogramming and autophagy. Although different possible underlying mechanisms for p53 regulation have been proposed for decades, none of them is conclusive. While much literature focuses on the importance of individual post-translational modifications, further explorations indicate a new layer of p53 coordination through the interplay of the modifications, which builds up a complex 'network'. This review focuses on the necessity, characteristics and mechanisms of the crosstalk among post-translational modifications and its effects on the precise and selective behavior of p53.