The interaction between p53 and growth-suppressing microRNAs

p53 is a small protein that has a crucial role in the prevention of cancer. Indeed, it is known as ‘the guardian of the genome’. A normal cell goes through a very tightly controlled series of checkpoints during its lifecycle, which helps to ensure that damaged DNA does not get passed on to daughter cells during replication. p53 plays a pivotal role in this ‘quality-control’; if DNA gets damaged (the fundamental problem that causes all cancer), p53 assists in the repair of this damage. If repair is not possible, it forces the cell to ‘commit suicide’.
MicroRNAs are a class of molecule that are only recently being recognised as playing important roles in the regulation of gene expression. They are observed in much smaller amounts in cancerous cells than normal cells, indicating that they may function as ‘tumour suppressors’.
Recently, Japanese researchers discovered an important link between these two molecules. p53 seems to play a modulating role in microRNA maturation, particularly in those microRNAs involved with suppression of cell growth. This has obvious implications for cancer research and potential future treatments.

Read more at http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v460/n7254/full/nature08199.html

by Adam Frankel (40084761)