Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Sci. STKE, 26 October 1999
Vol. 1999, Issue 5, p. tw2
[DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.51999tw2]

EDITORS' CHOICE

STKE TWIST Transcription regulation: P53 Utilizes HDACs to Repress Transcription

The mechanism by which the tumor suppressor protein p53 inhibits the expression of certain target genes has not been clear. Murphy et al. now suggest that transcriptional repression by p53 involves recruitment of histone deacetylases (HDACs) to the genes repressed by p53. HDACs, which are known to have a role in gene repression by other transcription factors, was found in a complex with p53 in vivo. Furthermore, this interaction was mediated by mSin3a, a known corepressor. The authors suggest that when this protein complex is associated with the promotor of the p53 target gene Map4, the histones bound to the promoter become deacetylated and dissociate. Just how p53 is targeted to the promoters of target genes that are repressed has yet to be determined.

Murphy, M., Ahn, J., Walker, K.K., Hoffman, W.H., Evans, R.M., Levine, A.J., and George, D.L. (1999) Transcriptional repression by wild-type p53 histone deacetylases, mediated by interaction with mSin3a. Genes Dev. 13: 2490-2501. [Abstract] [Full Text]

Citation: Transcription regulation: P53 Utilizes HDACs to Repress Transcription. Sci. STKE 1999, tw2 (1999).

To Advertise     Find Products

Science Signaling. ISSN 1937-9145 (online), 1945-0877 (print). Pre-2008: Science's STKE. ISSN 1525-8882