Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Reveals p53 Binding to G-Quadruplex DNA Sequences in Myeloid Leukemia Cell Lines

Clarifying functions of the p53 protein is a crucial aspect of cancer research. We analyzed the binding sites of p53 wild-type (WT) protein and its oncologically significant mutants and evaluated their transactivation properties using a functional yeast assay. Unlike the binding sites as determined in myeloid leukemia cell lines by chromatin immunoprecipitation of p53-R175H, p53-Y220C, p53-M237I, p53-R248Q, and p53-R273H mutants, the target sites of p53-WT and p53-R282W were significantly associated with putative G-quadruplex sequences (PQSs). Guanine-quadruplex (G-quadruplex or G4) formation in these sequences was evaluated by using a set of biophysical methods. G4s can modulate gene expression induced by p53. At low p53 expression level, PQS upstream of the p53-response element (RE) leads to greater gene expression induced by p53-R282W compared to that for the RE without PQS. Meanwhile, p53-WT protein expression is decreased by the PQS presence. At a high p53 expression level, the presence of PQS leads to a decreased expression of the reporter regardless of the distance and localization of the G4 from the RE.