# p53 acetylation in ferroptosis and tumor suppression

> **NIH NIH R01** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2020 · $366,000

## Abstract

Project Summary
 Inactivation of the p53 tumor suppression pathway is a pivotal event in the formation of most human
cancers. Although p53-mediated cell-cycle arrest, senescence and apoptosis serve as critical barriers to
cancer development, accumulating evidence suggests that loss of p53-dependent cell cycle arrest, apoptosis,
and senescence is not sufficient to abrogate the tumor suppression activity of p53. Several mouse models
suggest that tumor suppression by p53 can be achieved in the absence of those canonical functions. The p53
protein achieves diverse cellular outcomes by serving as a DNA-binding transcription factor that selectively
modulates the expression of certain p53 transcriptional target genes. Numerous studies have established that
acetylation of p53 acts as a key signal in promoter-specific activation of p53 target gene expression. Notably,
our earlier studies demonstrate that the p533KR (3KR:K117R+K161R+K162R) acetylation-deficient mutant
mouse model, which lacks the ability to undergo p53-mediated apoptosis, senescence and cell cycle arrest,
are not significantly prone to developing tumors when compared to p53-null mice. Ferroptosis is a regulated
form of non-apoptotic cell death driven by accumulation of lipid hydroperoxides. We found that p53 inhibits
cystine uptake and sensitizes cells to ferroptosis by repressing expression of SLC7A11, a key component of
the cystine/glutamate antiporter. Indeed, p533KR, an acetylation-defective mutant that fails to induce cell-cycle
arrest, senescence and apoptosis, fully retains the ability to regulate SLC7A11 expression and promote
ferroptosis. Nevertheless, it remains unclear how p53-mediated ferroptosis is regulated and whether p53-
mediated ferroptosis is absolutely required for its remaining tumor suppression. In our preliminary studies, we
have identified a novel p53 acetylation site at lysine K98 in mouse p53 (or K101 for human p53). While the loss
of K98 acetylation (p53K98R) alone has very modest effects on p53-mediated transactivation, simultaneous
mutations at all four acetylation sites (p534KR: K98R+K117R+K161R+K162R) completely abolish its ability to
regulate metabolic targets such as TIGAR and SLC7A11. The central hypothesis to be tested here is whether
p53 acetylation plays a major role in modulating p53 functions and whether p53-mediated ferroptosis is acts as
a key mechanism in tumor suppression in the absence of cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis and senescence. In Aim
1, we will elucidate the molecular mechanisms of acetylation in modulating p53-mediated ferroptotic responses
and tumor growth in human cancer cells. In Aim 2, we will examine the physiological significance of p53
acetylation as well as p53-mediated ferroptosis in vivo by establishing a new p53-mutant (p534KR/4KR) mouse
model.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9828084
- **Project number:** 5R01CA224272-03
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Wei Gu
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $366,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-12-01 → 2022-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9828084

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9828084, p53 acetylation in ferroptosis and tumor suppression (5R01CA224272-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9828084. Licensed CC0.

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