Scientists at Dundee University have made a significant breakthrough in understanding one of the most important molecules in cancer research.
The p53 protein is a tumour suppressor and a team led by Dr David Meek in the Medical Research Institute has discovered new details of how it works.
The researchers concentrated on a process called phosphorylation, in which phosphate is added to a protein and turns its enzymes on or off, altering their activity and function.
Dr Meek said: “This is a protein that is of huge interest to cancer researchers, yet there is still a lot of what it does that we don’t fully understand.
“A good analogy would be that p53 is akin to a 999 call centre.
“It receives distress messages from various sources in the cell and then has to orchestrate a response at the molecular level to alleviate or counteract the effects of the stress.
“Our study shows phosphorylation is a vital part of this communication line.”
The p53 protein was discovered by Professor Sir David Lane, formerly of Dundee University, in 1979.
