Access

Analysis

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 9, 402–412 (1 May 2008) | doi:10.1038/nrm2395

Transcriptional control of human p53-regulated genes

Todd Riley , Eduardo Sontag , Patricia Chen & Arnold Levine

The p53 protein regulates the transcription of many different genes in response to a wide variety of stress signals. Following DNA damage, p53 regulates key processes, including DNA repair, cell-cycle arrest, senescence and apoptosis, in order to suppress cancer. This Analysis article provides an overview of the current knowledge of p53-regulated genes in these pathways and others, and the mechanisms of their regulation. In addition, we present the most comprehensive list so far of human p53-regulated genes and their experimentally validated, functional binding sites that confer p53 regulation.