Insights into p53 Transcriptional Function via Genome-Wide Chromatin Occupancy and Gene Expression Analysis

The tumor suppressor p53 can induce various biological responses. Yet it is not clear whether it is p53 in vivo promoter selectivity that triggers different transcription programs leading to different outcomes. Our analysis of genome-wide chromatin occupancy by p53 using ChIP-seq revealed that the pattern of major p53-bound sites is similar upon p53 activation by nutlin3a, RITA or 5-FU in breast cancer cells, despite different biological outcomes. Parallel analysis of gene expression allowed identification of 280 previously unknown p53 target genes, including p53-repressed AURKA. The consensus p53 binding motif was present more frequently in p53-induced, than in repressed targets, indicating different mechanisms of gene activation versus repression. We identified several possible cofactors of p53, and found that STAT3 antagonised p53-mediated repression of a subset of genes, including AURKA. Finally, we showed that the expression of the novel p53 targets correlates with p53 status and survival in breast cancer patients.