A single-molecule characterization of p53 search on DNA.

ABSTRACT: The tumor suppressor p53 slides along DNA while searching for its cognate site. Central to this process is the basic C-terminal domain, whose regulatory role and its coordination with the core DNA-binding domain is highly debated. Here we use single-molecule techniques to characterize the search process and disentangle the roles played by these two DNA-binding domains in the search process. We demonstrate that the C-terminal domain is capable of rapid translocation, while the core domain is unable to slide and instead hops along DNA. These findings are integrated into a model, in which the C-terminal domain mediates fast sliding of p53, while the core domain samples DNA by frequent dissociation and reassociation, allowing for rapid scanning of long DNA regions. The model further proposes h

SUBMITTER: Tafvizi A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3021058 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature