Behind the scenes: unravelling the molecular mechanisms of p53 target gene selectivity (Review).

The p53 protein is a tumor suppressor that plays a crucial role in cellular growth regulation inducing a plethora of response pathways. p53 post-translational modifications, p53-binding proteins, co-factors and the p53-family members p63 and p73 have all been described to contribute to p53 target gene regulation and hence cellular outcome. However, the molecular mechanisms that discriminate between the different p53-responses towards stress treatments have remained largely elusive. This review focuses on the topic of the molecular mechanisms behind target gene selectivity of the transcription factor p53 and provides insight into the latest era of p53 research.