title: Stimulation of p53 DNA binding by c-Abl requires the p53 C terminus and tetramerization.
abstract: The carboxyl terminus of p53 is a target of a variety of signals for regulation of p53 DNA binding. Growth suppressor c-Abl interacts with p53 in response to DNA damage and overexpression of c-Abl leads to G(1) growth arrest in a p53-dependent manner. Here, we show that c-Abl binds directly to the carboxyl-terminal regulatory domain of p53 and that this interaction requires tetramerization of p53. Importantly, we demonstrate that c-Abl stimulates the DNA-binding activity of wild-type p53 but not of a carboxyl-terminally truncated p53 (p53Delta363C). A deletion mutant of c-Abl that does not bind to p53 is also incapable of activating p53 DNA binding. These data suggest that the binding to the p53 carboxyl terminus is necessary for c-Abl stimulation. To investigate the mechanism for this activation, we have also shown that c-Abl stabilizes the p53-DNA complex. These results led us to hypothesize that the interaction of c-Abl with the C terminus of p53 may stabilize the p53 tetrameric conformation, resulting in a more stable p53-DNA complex. Interestingly, the stimulation of p53 DNA-binding by c-Abl does not require its tyrosine kinase activity, indicating a kinase-independent function for c-Abl. Together, these results suggest a detailed mechanism by which c-Abl activates p53 DNA-binding via the carboxyl-terminal regulatory domain and tetramerization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bula
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D016315:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-abl / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D018411:Spodoptera; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014162:Transfection; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D004247:DNA; D016315:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-abl