Which protein is the E3-ubiquitin ligase that targets the tumor suppressor p53 for proteasomal degradation?
The p53 tumour suppressor protein is tightly controlled by the E3 ubiquitin ligase, mouse double minute 2 (MDM2). The RING domain E3 ubiquitin ligase Mdm2 is the master regulator of the tumor suppressor p53. It targets p53 for proteasomal degradation, restraining the potent activity of p53 and enabling cell survival and proliferation. p53 is inactivated in many human malignancies through missense mutations or overexpression of the human homologue of Mdm2 (Hdm2), an E3 ubiquitin ligase that ubiquitinates p53, thereby promoting its proteasomal degradation.