Activation of NFAT signal by p53-K120R mutant

The tumor suppressor p53 is activated by phosphorylation and/or acetylation. We constructed 14 non-phosphorylated, 11 phospho-mimetic, and 1 non-acetylated point p53 mutations and compared their transactivation ability in U-87 human glioblastoma cells by the luciferase reporter assay. Despite mutations at the phosphorylation sites, only the p53-K120R and p53-S9E mutants had marginally reduced activities. On the other hand, the Nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT)-luciferase reporter was more potently activated by p53-K120R than by wild-type p53 and other mutants in glioblastoma, hepatoma and esophageal carcinoma cells. This suggests that acetylation at Lys-120 of p53 negatively regulates a signaling pathway leading to NFAT activation.