p53 DNA response element (p53RE)

The **p53 DNA response element** (commonly abbreviated as **p53RE**) is a specific 20-base pair DNA sequence found within promoter or enhancer regions of human genes that enables direct binding by the transcription factor p53[2][5]. The canonical p53RE consists of two decameric half-sites, which follow the motif RRRCWWGYYY (R = A or G; W = A or T; Y = C or T) and can be separated by a spacer sequence of variable length, most often 0–2 base pairs, but possibly as many as 20[2][4][5]. p53, a tumor suppressor protein, recognizes and binds these sequences as a tetramer, activating or repressing transcription of genes involved in cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, DNA repair, senescence, and metabolism[1][3][4][5]. The specificity and outcome of transcriptional regulation depend not only on the presence of the motif, but also on its sequence and DNA structural properties[7], as well as the cellular context, chromatin state, and the involvement of cofactors or repressors (such as MDM2)[1][6]. Crucially, p53 DNA response elements are not themselves therapeutic targets (they are DNA sequences, not proteins or enzymes), but are regulatory DNA elements essential for the action of p53 and thus central to its roles in preventing tumor growth and maintaining genomic integrity[1][2][4]. Disease relevance comes from the fact that mutations in p53 or its inability to bind p53REs are implicated in many cancers[4][5]. **Note:** - This entry is "incorrect" as a therapeutic target because it identifies a DNA regulatory element, not a druggable protein, receptor, or enzyme. - The actionable therapeutic target is typically the p53 protein itself, not the DNA sequence it binds. - Most structured drug databases will not list p53RE as a therapeutic target. - No interacting drugs or biomarkers are directly associated with the DNA response element, though drugs may target p53 signaling or modulate p53 binding indirectly.

Other names

p53 response elementp53REp53 binding site