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The p53 family: guardians of maternal reproduction

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 12, pages 259–265 (2011)Cite this article

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Abstract

The p53 family of proteins consists of p53, p63 and p73, which are transcription factors that affect both cancer and development. It is now emerging that these proteins also regulate maternal reproduction. Whereas p63 is important for maturation of the egg, p73 ensures normal mitosis in the developing blastocyst. p53 subsequently regulates implantation of the embryo through transcriptional control of leukaemia inhibitory factor. Elucidating the cell biological basis of how these factors regulate female fertility may lead to new approaches to the control of human maternal reproduction.

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Figure 1: 'La famiglia' of p53, p63 and p73.
Figure 2: p53, p63 and p73 regulate distinct steps of maternal reproduction.
Figure 3: The p53 family regulates distinct molecular processes that are important for female fertility.
Figure 4: Intrinsic and systemic roles of p73 during evolution.

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Acknowledgements

We thank R. A. Knight for helpful discussions and comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arnold J. Levine is at the Institute for Advanced Studies, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, USA; and at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903-2681, USA.,

    Arnold J. Levine

  2. and at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903-2681, USA.,

    Arnold J. Levine

  3. Richard Tomasini is at the Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale Unite 624, Stress Cellulaire, 163 Avenue de Luminy, Case 915, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France.,

    Richard Tomasini

  4. Frank D. McKeon is at the Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.,

    Frank D. McKeon

  5. Tak W. Mak is at The Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C1, Canada.,

    Tak W. Mak

  6. Gerry Melino is at the Medical Research Council, Toxicology Unit, Hodgkin Building, Leicester University, Lancaster Road, P.O. Box 138, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK; and at the Biochemistry IDI-IRCCS laboratory, Dept Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy.,

    Gerry Melino

  7. and at the Biochemistry IDI-IRCCS laboratory, Dept Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy.,

    Gerry Melino

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Correspondence to Gerry Melino.

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Levine, A., Tomasini, R., McKeon, F. et al. The p53 family: guardians of maternal reproduction. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 12, 259–265 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm3086

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