p53 and aging

Abstract

p53 is an extensively studied tumor suppressor that functions as a transcription factor involved in cell-cycle control, DNA repair, apoptosis, and other cellular responses in response to various forms of stress. Besides its major functions of cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis, p53 also plays an important role in regulating cellular senescence and organismal aging. Cellular senescence is a state of irreversible cell-cycle arrest, which has been associated both with aging and as a physiological antitumor response against oncogenic insults. Therefore, senescence is a potent mechanism through which p53 causes tumor growth suppression. However, the senescence response depends upon the level of p53 expression as well as the cellular context. In this chapter, we discuss the involvement of p53 in the process of aging and describe p53-mediated regulation of various cellular pathways that contribute to both senescence and aging.