Figure 5.

A look at MDM2 and MDMX with p53-blind glasses. Several proteins other than p53 regulate MDM2 and MDMX at the transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels through distinct mechanisms. These mechanisms are summarized at the top. The bottom depicts some of the most prominent p53-independent functions of MDM2 and MDMX, both individually and together as a complex. In red are the different inhibitors of these two proteins that are capable of modifying the ability of MDM2 and MDMX to undertake these p53-independent roles. The figure also briefly indicates the mechanism of action of these drugs; while some of them impair the regulation of MDM2 and/or MDMX (e.g., SQ, SP141, NSC 207895, and FL-118), others can directly affect their functionality (e.g., HLI, MEL23, and Nutlin-3).