CHEK2

Activated ATM phosphorylates the NBN (NBS1) subunit of the MRN complex (MRE11A:RAD50:NBN) (Gatei et al. 2000), as well as the nucleosome histone H2AFX (H2AX) on serine residue S139, producing gamma-H2AFX (gamma-H2AX) containing nucleosomes (Rogakou et al. 1998, Burma et al. 2001). H2AFX is phosphorylated on tyrosine 142 (Y142) under basal conditions (Xiao et al. 2009). After ATM-mediated phosphorylation of H2AFX on S139, tyrosine Y142 has to be dephosphorylated by EYA family phosphatases in order for the DNA repair to proceed and to avoid apoptosis induced by DNA DSBs (Cook et al. 2009). Gamma-H2AFX recruits MDC1 to DNA DSBs (Stucki et al. 2005). After ATM phosphorylates MDC1 (Liu et al. 2012), the MRN complex, gamma-H2AFX nucleosomes, and MDC1 serve as a core of the nuclear focus and a platform for the recruitment of other proteins involved in DNA damage signaling and repair (Lukas et al. 2004, Soutoglou and Misteli 2008).

RNF8 ubiquitin ligase binds phosphorylated MDC1 (Kolas et al. 2007) and, in cooperation with HERC2 and RNF168 (Bekker-Jensen et al. 2010, Campbell et al. 2012), ubiquitinates H2AFX (Mailand et al. 2007, Huen et al. 2007, Stewart et al. 2009, Doil et al. 2009) and histone demethylases KDM4A and KDM4B (Mallette et al. 2012).

Ubiquitinated gamma-H2AFX recruits UIMC1 (RAP80), promoting the assembly of the BRCA1-A complex at DNA DSBs. The BRCA1-A complex consists of RAP80, FAM175A (Abraxas), BRCA1:BARD1 heterodimer, BRCC3 (BRCC36), BRE (BRCC45) and BABAM1 (MERIT40, NBA1) (Wang et al. 2007, Wang and Elledge 2007)

Ubiquitin mediated degradation of KDM4A and KDM4B allows TP53BP1 (53BP1) to associate with histone H4 dimethylated on lysine K21 (H4K20Me2 mark) by WHSC1 at DNA DSB sites (Pei et al. 2011).

Once recruited to DNA DSBs, both BRCA1:BARD1 heterodimers and TP53BP1 are phosphorylated by ATM (Cortez et al. 1999, Gatei et al. 2000, Kim et al. 2006, Jowsey et al. 2007), which triggers recruitment and activation of CHEK2 (Chk2, Cds1) (Wang et al. 2002, Wilson and Stern 2008, Melchionna et al. 2000).

Depending on the cell cycle stage, BRCA1 and TP53BP1 competitively promote either homology directed repair (HDR) or nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) of DNA DSBs. HDR through homologous recombination repair (HRR) or single strand annealing (SSA) is promoted by BRCA1 in association with RBBP8 (CtIP), while NHEJ is promoted by TP53BP1 in association with RIF1 (Escribano-Diaz et al. 2013)

Phosphorylation of TP53 at serine residue S46 promotes transcription of TP53-regulated apoptotic genes rather than cell cycle arrest genes. Several kinases can phosphorylate S46 of TP53, including ATM-activated DYRK2, which, like TP53, is targeted for degradation by MDM2 (Taira et al. 2007, Taira et al. 2010). TP53 is also phosphorylated at S46 by HIPK2 in the presence of the TP53 transcriptional target TP53INP1 (D'Orazi et al. 2002, Hofmann et al. 2002, Tomasini et al. 2003). CDK5, in addition to phosphorylating TP53 at S15, also phosphorylates it at S33 and S46, which promotes neuronal cell death (Lee et al. 2007).

MAPKAPK5 (PRAK) phosphorylates TP53 at serine residue S37, promoting cell cycle arrest and cellular senescence in response to oncogenic RAS signaling (Sun et al. 2007).

NUAK1 phosphorylates TP53 at S15 and S392, and phosphorylation at S392 may contribute to TP53-mediated transcriptional activation of cell cycle arrest genes (Hou et al. 2011). S392 of TP53 is also phosphorylated by the complex of casein kinase II (CK2) bound to the FACT complex, enhancing transcriptional activity of TP53 in response to UV irradiation (Keller et al. 2001, Keller and Lu 2002).

The activity of TP53 is inhibited by phosphorylation at serine residue S315, which enhances MDM2 binding and degradation of TP53. S315 of TP53 is phosphorylated by Aurora kinase A (AURKA) (Katayama et al. 2004) and CDK2 (Luciani et al. 2000). Interaction with MDM2 and the consequent TP53 degradation is also increased by phosphorylation of TP53 threonine residue T55 by the transcription initiation factor complex TFIID (Li et al. 2004).

Aurora kinase B (AURKB) has been shown to phosphorylate TP53 at serine residue S269 and threonine residue T284, which is possibly facilitated by the binding of the NIR co-repressor. AURKB-mediated phosphorylation was reported to inhibit TP53 transcriptional activity through an unknown mechanism (Wu et al. 2011). A putative direct interaction between TP53 and AURKB has also been described and linked to TP53 phosphorylation and S183, T211 and S215 and TP53 degradation (Gully et al. 2012)

The nuclear localization of MDM2 is positively regulated by AKT- or SGK1- mediated phosphorylation (Mayo and Donner 2001, Zhou et al. 2001, Amato et al. 2009, Lyo et al. 2010). Phosphorylation of MDM2 by CDK1 or CDK2 decreases affinity of MDM2 for TP53 (Zhang and Prives 2001). ATM and CHEK2 kinases, activated by double strand DNA breaks, phosphorylate TP53, reducing its affinity for MDM2 (Banin et al. 1998, Canman et al. 1998, Khanna et al. 1998, Chehab et al. 1999, Chehab et al. 2000). At the same time, ATM phosphorylates MDM2, preventing MDM2 dimerization (Cheng et al. 2009, Cheng et al. 2011). Both ATM and CHEK2 phosphorylate MDM4, triggering MDM2-mediated ubiquitination of MDM4 (Chen et al. 2005, Pereg et al. 2005). Cyclin G1 (CCNG1), transcriptionally induced by TP53, targets the PP2A phosphatase complex to MDM2, resulting in dephosphorylation of MDM2 at specific sites, which can have either a positive or a negative impact on MDM2 function (Okamoto et al. 2002).

In contrast to MDM2, E3 ubiquitin ligases RNF34 (CARP1) and RFFL (CARP2) can ubiquitinate phosphorylated TP53 (Yang et al. 2007).

In addition to ubiquitinating MDM4 (Pereg et al. 2005), MDM2 can also undergo auto-ubiquitination (Fang et al. 2000). MDM2 and MDM4 can be deubiquitinated by the ubiquitin protease USP2 (Stevenson et al. 2007, Allende-Vega et al. 2010). The ubiquitin protease USP7 can deubiquitinate TP53, but in the presence of DAXX deubiquitinates MDM2 (Li et al. 2002, Sheng et al. 2006, Tang et al. 2006).

The tumor suppressor p14-ARF, expressed from the CDKN2A gene in response to oncogenic or oxidative stress, forms a tripartite complex with MDM2 and TP53, sequesters MDM2 from TP53, and thus prevents TP53 degradation (Zhang et al. 1998, Parisi et al. 2002, Voncken et al. 2005).

For review of this topic, please refer to Kruse and Gu 2009

PRMT5, recruited to TP53 as part of the ATM-activated complex that includes TTC5, JMY and EP300 (p300), methylates TP53 arginine residues R333, R335 and R337. PRMT5-mediated methylation promotes TP53-stimulated expression of cell cycle arrest genes (Shikama et al. 1999, Demonacos et al. 2001, Demonacos et al. 2004, Adams et al. 2008, Adams et al. 2012). SETD9 (SET9) methylates TP53 at lysine residue K372, resulting in increased stability and activity of TP53 (Chuikov et al. 2004, Couture et al. 2006, Bai et al. 2011).

TP53 transcriptional activity is repressed by SMYD2-mediated methylation of TP53 at lysine residue K370 (Huang et al. 2006). Dimethylation of TP53 at lysine residue K373 by the complex of methyltransferases EHMT1 and EHMT2 also represses TP53-mediated transcription (Huang et al. 2010). The chromatin compaction factor L3MBTL1 binds TP53 monomethylated at lysine K382 by SETD8 (SET8) and, probably through changing local chromatin architecture, represses transcription of TP53 targets (West et al. 2010). The histone lysine-specific demethylase LSD1 interacts with TP53 and represses p53-mediated transcriptional activation (Huang et al. 2007). PRMT1 and CARM1 can also modulate p53 functions in a cooperative manner (An et al. 2004)