16th Feb - p53 Flashcards
When was p53 discovered?
1979
How was p53 identified?
Interacted with viral proteins:
- SV40 large T antigen
- E1B of Adenovirus
- E6 of papilloma virus
How was it identified that p53 was a tumour suppressor?
Originally thought to be an oncogene. Performed genetic studies to identify as TS
ras + p53 deletion mutant –> cell growth
ras + p53 val-135 point mutant –> increased proliferation
ras + WT p 53 –> no cell growth
What is Li-Fraumeni syndrome?
A rare dominant inherited cancer syndrome where patients have mutations in TP53 gene
How was it demonstrated that p53 protects against cancer?
Genetic studies in mice
p53-/- die very fast (0% survival at 250 days), as they get tumours very fast
p53+/- start to die at about 300 days
p53+/+ have 100% survival at 500 days
What is the main form of regulation of p53?
Phosphorylation
Does p53 function as an oligomer?
Yes it functions as a homotetramer
How does p53 recognise target genes?
It recognises a 10 base pair consensus sequence
In which exons of p53 are the majority of mutations located?
5-8
Which amino acids of p53 are hotspots for mutation?
175
248
273
How is the haploid insufficiency of p53 explained?
Mutant subunits from the mutated chromosome, form part of the tetramer with unmutated p53 subunits, meaning that only 1/16th of the tetramers produced are wholly WT
What is the half life of p53?
20 minutes
What is the main role of p53?
To define the cellular responses to different kinds of damage
Do all of p53s functions work harmoniously?
Some are antagonistic and can occur simultaneously
Where does it carry out its function?
Mainly in the nucleus but also in the cytoplasm