Mutant p53: “gain of function” through perturbation of nuclear structure and function?

Mutant p53 not simply is an inactivated tumor suppressor, as at least some mutant p53 proteins exhibit oncogenic properties. Mutant p53 thus is the most commonly expressed oncogene in human cancer. Accordingly, the expression of mutant p53 in tumors often correlates with bad prognosis, and expression of mutant p53 in p53‐negative tumor cells enhances their transformed phenotype. The molecular basis for this “gain of function” is not yet understood. However, the finding that mutant p53 tightly associates with the nuclear matrix in vivo, and with high affinity binds to nuclear matrix attachment region (MAR) DNA in vitro, suggests that these activities are connected and may result in perturbation of nuclear structure and function in tumor cells. MAR‐binding of mutant p53 most likely is due to conformation‐selective DNA binding by mutant p53, i.e. the specific interaction of a given mutant p53 protein with regulatory or structural genomic DNA elements that are able to adopt specific non‐B‐DNA conformations. In support to this assumption, human mutant p53 (Gly 245 →Ser) was shown to bind to repetitive DNA elements in vivo that might be part of MAR elements. This further supports a model according to which mutant p53, by interacting with key structural components of the nucleus, exerts its oncogenic activities through perturbation of nuclear structure and function. J. Cell. Biochem. Suppl. 35:115–122, 2000. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.