The Posttranslational Modifications in Regulating the Gain-of-function of the Mutant p53
p53 is one of the most crucial tumor suppressor genes in mammalian cells.Over 50%of hu-man tumors exhibit p53 mutations,predominantly consisting of the missense mutations,leading to the generation and accumulation of mutant p53 protein in tumor cells.Apart from losing its normal biological functions and inhibiting the transactivity and tumor suppressive action of wildtype p53 through dominant negative effect,accumulating evidences indicate that the"gain-of-function"of mutant p53 plays critical roles in promoting tumor progression and metastasis.The posttranslational modifications(PTMs)repre-sent a key mechanism by which the molecular functions of both the wildtype p53 and a spectrum of vari-ous mutant p53 can be regulated through universal or mutant p53-specific ways.Thus,the PTMs may re-present an emerging potential target for reversing mutant p53-driven tumors.Here by focusing on the PT-Ms of mutant p53,the review provides an overview of how mutant p53 participates in the process of tumor initiation and progression through"gain-of-function",the regulatory mechanisms of PTMs on mutant p53,and the applications of targeting mutant p53 and its PTMs in cancer treatment.Additionally,we discuss unresolved issues regarding the roles of mutant p53 in cancer biology and provide insights into fu-ture research direction.This review comprehensively summarizes the regulatory networks of mutant p53"gain-of-function"by PTMs in tumor development,serving as a basis for developing intervention strate-gies by targeting the PTMs of mutant p53 in cancer.