Skeletons in the p53 tumor suppressor closet: genetic evidence that p53 blocks bone differentiation and development.
A series of in vitro tissue culture studies indicated that the p53 tumor suppressor promotes cellular differentiation, which could explain its role in preventing cancer. Quite surprisingly, however, two new in vivo studies provide genetic evidence that p53 blocks osteoblast differentiation and bone development. These interesting results and their biological and clinical implications are the focus of this comment.
Department of Biochemistry and 2Department of Hematology-Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA. gerard.zambetti@stjude.org
Gerard P
GP
Zambetti
Edwin M
EM
Horwitz
Ernestina
E
Schipani
D000818:Animals; D001846:Bone Development / Q000235:genetics*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D050659:Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000378:metabolism*; D051736:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000076182:Sp7 Transcription Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D050659:Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit; C493709:RUNX2 protein, human; D000076182:Sp7 Transcription Factor; C479466:Sp7 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C497207:Mdm2 protein, mouse; D051736:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2