Regulatory role of protein p53 in the functional activity of the central nervous system

Abstract

Protein p53 is one of the most popular topics among researchers. Over the past 40 years since its discovery, more than 100 thousand scientific works have been written, and this is growing steadily. The increased interest in this protein among doctors lies in its participation in the development of malignant tumors, a socially significant group of diseases of the 21st century. p53 is a tumor suppressor. Normally, when exposed to damaging factors, this protein promotes DNA repair or apoptosis, depending on the damage, which in turn prevents the accumulation of cells with mutant DNAs. When p53 mutates, it loses its function, leading to abnormal cell proliferation and tumor progression. The role of p53 is not limited to carcinogenesis. It also participates in the regulation of the central nervous system; however, its role is ambiguous. Although p53 is also involved in the embryogenesis of nervous tissue and promotes the differentiation of neural stem cells, it can also have a damaging effect on neurons. The literature review presents current data on the structure and function of p53, the main regulator of the human genome, and its homologs (p63 and p73). These proteins are considered to play a role in programmed cell death and carcinogenesis. The role of p53 family proteins in the functioning of the central nervous system and neuroprotection was also examined.