Figure 5.

Oxidative post-translational modifications of p53. In p53, the reduced cysteine residues located in the DNA-binding domain are important to maintain the p53 tetrameric structure. p53 activity is known to be affected by several post-translational modifications induced by oxidative stress that impair the DNA binding. Cysteine residues can be easily oxidized, and their oxidation is mostly reversible resulting in intermolecular/intramolecular disulfide bond formation, S-glutathionylation and nitrosylation.