Keeping p53 in check: essential and synergistic functions of Mdm2 and Mdm4

摘要

The p53 tumor suppressor is activated by various stress signals such as DNA damage, ribonucleotide depletion, oxidative stress, oncogene activation or incomplete mitotic stimuli.1 Under these conditions, the p53 protein is stabilized and becomes transcriptionally active. p53 downstream responses include cell cycle arrest and apoptosis and are mainly mediated by its multiple target genes. Key mediators of p53 biological activities are the proapoptotic genes bax, PUMA and NOXA~2 and the cell cycle regulators p21~3 and Ptprv.