Fig. 1.

The p53 pathway. p53 is a critical responder to various modes of cellular stress substantiating its role as a key tumor suppressor in cancer biology. These modes serve to activate p53 both by stabilizing the protein (decreasing its MDM2 mediated proteasomal degradation) and enhancing its function as a transcription factor. The response to p53 encompasses a wide range of cellular processes that allow the cell to recover/repair the damage induced by the stress. The determination of which effector pathway it uses is dependent on several variables including the source of the stress, the cell type and surrounding microenvironment