Author(s) :

Oviya Ravi.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

p53, also known as the Guardian of the Genome, has a plethora of functions in cells. This review focuses on the current understanding of p53’s roles in three mechanisms (cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and senescence) and how p53 determines the fate of the cell among them. Cell cycle arrest occurs when cells temporarily halt the cell cycle in response to DNA damage, allowing time for repair. The main way in which p53 induces cell cycle arrest is by activating the target gene p21. Apoptosis is a form of programmed cell death that occurs if a cell is damaged beyond repair. p53 induces apoptosis through its interaction with the BCL-2 family of proteins, such as Bax and Bak. Cellular senescence is distinct from cell cycle arrest or apoptosis because it is an irreversible form of cell cycle arrest mediated by p53. The current understanding is that p53 makes cell fate decisions between cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, or senescence based on the level of DNA damage as well as the pathways it engages. This understanding of cell fate decisions is extremely hypothetical and advancing this understanding is key to being able to induce the various mechanisms of p53 for clinical benefit. This paper aims to investigate the cellular pathways induced by p53 in cells that have undergone DNA damage.