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In order for a living being to survive; their cells must go through a necessary process of replication and division.  This process is called the cell cycle.  The cell cycle is a multi-step cycle that includes the following phases: G1 phase, S phase, G2 phase, Mitosis, and cytokinesis.  Since the cell cycle is necessary forContinue reading “p53 and Cell Cycle”

The central dogma states that DNA is transcribed into RNA, which is then translated into proteins.  The central dogma must be under strict regulation, which is accomplished by transcription factors.  Transcription factors are molecules/proteins that control whether or not a gene is expressed (DNA made into protein).  As a transcription factor, p53 regulates the production/expressionContinue reading “p53 as Transcription Factor”

Once p53 has detected DNA damage due to mutations, it will decide whether the cell’s next step is apoptosis or cell repair. Apoptosis, coordinated cell death, is one of the main controls for p53 tumor suppressor capability and increasing cell response to chemotherapy. p53 can increase transcription of apoptotic genes such as Bcl-2 and BH3-onlyContinue reading “p53 and Cell Apoptosis”

DNA damage can come in many forms: from wide-scale deletions of genes to the smaller instances of base-pair substitutions. UV and IR radiation are typical causes of disruptions in DNA strands. p53 is a protein that is sensitive to all forms of DNA damage. ex. p53 is activated with only a single break in doubleContinue reading “p53 and DNA Mutations”

p53 is an extremely important protein in the cell cycle. This protein is known as the ‘master regulator‘ or the ‘guardian of the genome‘. Source: https://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/chimera/ImageGallery/entries/p53/p53.html Image: p53 protein, with each of its four domains adherent to a DNA molecule, This multi-unit protein is comprised of over 300 amino acids in total. This protein hasContinue reading “What is p53?”