Abstract
Our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis has developed with several hypotheses over the last 40 years, including the Amyloid and Tau hypotheses. More recently, the p53 protein, well-known as a genome guardian, has gained attention for its potential role in the early evolution of AD. This is due to the central involvement of p53’s in the control of oxidative stress and potential involvement in the Amyloid and Tau pathways. p53 is commonly regulated by post-translational modifications (PTMs), which affect its conformation, increasing its capacity to adopt multiple structural and functional states, including those that can affect brain processes, thus contributing to AD development. The following review will explore the impact of p53 PTMs on its function and consequential involvement in AD pathogenesis. The greater understanding of the role of p53 in the pathogenesis of AD could result in more targeted therapies benefiting the many patients of this debilitating disease.
Introduction
Pathology of Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a pernicious condition of the aging population that leads to progressive degeneration of brain function, whose characteristic anatomopathological hallmarks, firstly described by Alois Alzheimer, remain the senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles which consist of beta-amyloid peptides and hyperphosphorylated Tau proteins (Querfurth and LaFerla, 2010). The formation of brain plaques begins up to 20 years before any signs of clinical symptoms. To date, our understanding of AD pathology is still incomplete, with several different models proposed (; ).
The amyloid hypothesis of AD pathology suggests that the increased presence of amyloid-beta (Aβ) is the triggering factor, which then links directly to Tau protein hyper-phosphorylation, synapse loss, and cell death ().
However, the classical amyloid hypothesis has been questioned (Ricciarelli and Fedele, 2017) and other hypotheses have now been postulated to describe AD pathology and are discussed in the following sections.
GSK-3β is a critical cell cycle regulation factor and has an important function in neurons for Tau regulation. Increased GSK-3β activity has been shown to be one of the first events in AD pathology, leading to increased Aβ production and Tau hyper-phosphorylation (). Moreover, the ε4 isoform of Apolipoprotein E (Apo E4), which inhibits proteolytic degradation of Aβ, has also been implicated as a significant genetic risk factor for the sporadic AD (; ). In addition, glutamatergic and cholinergic dysfunction (), oxidative stress (), prion proteins (Westergard et al., 2007), α-synuclein (Twohig and Nielsen, 2019), TDP-42 (Tomé et al., 2020), and inflammation () are all implicated in AD pathology.
Mitochondrial dysfunction has also been implicated in AD pathology, Oxidative stress, damage by free radicals in parallel with changes in the expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, both important anti-oxidant enzymes, have been shown in tissue from AD patients (; ; ).
Interestingly, In the AD brain, fatty acid oxidation has been linked to Tau pathology, and p38 MAPK has been linked as a potential candidate gene within the relevant MAP Kinase pathway (Zhu et al., 2000). Further studies have implicated oxidative stress in Aβ induced neurotoxicity () and cellular () and rodent (; ) models showed increased oxidative stress is linked to Aβ deposits. Accumulation of transition metals along with Aβ and Tau protein have all been implicated in the loss of redox balance, and oxidative stress is a well-recognized feature of AD brains (Praticò, 2008). The metal theory of AD (; ) proposes that homeostasis of transition metals is severely altered in AD, with extracellular pooling of metals such as Zn and Cu in amyloid, and intraneuronal accumulation of Fe within the AD brain. Abnormal levels of metal ions, Zn, Cu, and Fe were shown in AD brains (). Also, the presence of transition metals has been highlighted in amyloid deposits and transgenic murine models (; Zhang et al., 2006).
The development of clinical symptoms of AD requires many decades for pathological changes to develop (). However, during the early stages of the disease, the body’s cellular defense mechanisms, including the DNA damage response, will activate and potentially stop the progression of AD ().
As seen in cancer, cellular response mechanisms involve multiple pathways. The role of one of these genes, TP53, is now being revealed as central to the cellular response to cancer and other diseases, including obesity and aging-associated neurodegenerative disorders (). Given the implication of different mechanisms of cellular stress in AD pathology, understanding the role and regulation of TP53 and its protein product p53 in AD could unlock therapies to treat the disease in its early stages or facilitate AD diagnosis before the clinical manifestation of the disease.
p53 Conformational Changes: Causes and Consequences in Alzheimer’s Disease
Ever since the discovery of p53 (; ) it has been accepted as a central tumor suppressor that has also been shown to be involved in diseases other than cancer, acting as a critical gatekeeper for cellular stress. p53 is a homo-tetrameric, multidomain transcriptional factor and, by binding of the p53-responsive elements found at target genes’ promoters, p53 can in turn activate multiple pathways and genes ().
Tumorigenesis of p53 has been shown in numerous mouse experiments where p53 loss-of-function predisposes cells to permanent damage and tumor transformation (; ). Tumorigenesis has also been shown in p53 wild-type patients, whose cellular p53 pathways are not functional, due to several causes (Yue et al., 2017). It has also been demonstrated that p53 functions as a central hub to deal with cellular oxidative stress. In addition to DNA damage, p53 can also show a response to many upstream stress signals which can include oncogene activation, erosion of telomeres, and hypoxia (). When activated, p53 is a regulator of multiple cellular processes including cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, apoptosis, ferroptosis, senescence, that promote cell survival, or minimize cellular malignant transformation.
p53 has been shown to have further roles including the control of cell metabolism, pluripotency, epigenetic control, and aging (). As p53 has many roles in cellular maintenance, any alteration of functional activity will greatly affect its downstream processes (Vousden and Lane, 2007).
The role of p53 is now realized to be much greater than simply dealing with DNA damage. Thus, p53 should now be regarded not only as a “genome guardian” but as a “stress guardian.”
There are several cellular mechanisms that control p53 function, and post-translational modifications (PTMs) are the most common and effective type of regulation ().
p53 Post-translational Modifications of the Linear Sequence and the Related Biochemical Reactions
p53 protein’s modular structure is optimized for PTMs including SUMOylation, neddylation, phosphorylation, acetylation, methylation, ubiquitination, hydroxylation, O-GlcNAcylation, ADP-ribosylation, and β-hydroxybutyrylation (; Figure 1).
FIGURE 1
Phosphorylation
p53 Phosphorylation occurs mainly at serine and threonine residues at both C and N-termini. It has been shown that phosphorylation is critical at Ser15 to allow MDM2 dissociation with the p53 protein, with the result of stabilizing the p53 complex (Shieh et al., 1997). AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway can phosphorylate Ser15 and mediates a G1/S cell cycle block (
Acetylation
Acetylation of eight lysine residues of p53 (K120, K164, K370, K372, K373, K381, K382, and K386) are induced by cytotoxic stimuli, which results in p53 activation and stabilization (
Methylation
Methylation of lysine and arginine residues is an important control mechanism of p53 function as it’s a reversible process (
Ubiquitination
MDM2 ubiquitination is critical for maintaining p53 levels in the cell. This has been postulated to occur by polyubiquitination of p53 leading to proteasome pathway mediated protein degradation, which then inhibits p53-mediated transactivation (
Different types of p53 ubiquitination are known to cause changes in p53 function as well as stabilization, by regulating its cytosolic location and nuclear export. p53 ubiquitination is also implicated in the disruption of its binding to promoters of target genes, similar to the action of transcription factors in the nucleus. This results in halting the cell cycle and triggering apoptosis (
Other Modifications
These include neddylation and SUMOylation (Xirodimas et al., 2004;
These modifications all have several common features: (i) Multiple sites: on many different amino acids. (ii) Multiple functions: that are site-specific. (iii) Reversibility: such that there are functionally modifying and de-modifying mechanisms. (iv) Cross talk: modifications at certain sites can affect modifications at other sites (
Nitrosylation
Aerobic metabolism has several by products including ROS and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). RNS can initiate signaling that is transduced through redox-based PTMs of proteins. It is known that redox signaling is a critical process in cell physiology and is an important regulator of redox-sensitive proteins (
Tyrosine Nitration and Alzheimer’s Disease Pathogenesis
Data suggests a strong link between protein Tyr nitration and the pathogenesis of AD. For example,
p53 Function and the Link to Alzheimer’s Disease
p53 protein function has been shown to be closely associated with many cell stress control mechanisms and is proposed to be intrinsically involved in defense against neuronal degeneration. These mechanisms include maintenance of redox control, redox homeostasis, and inflammation, along with regulation of the neuronal cell cycle and control of Aβ peptides (
FIGURE 2

Key factors that affect the generation of the conformational change of p53 to an unfolded conformation in the current model understanding of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Each box refers to a significant cellular factor linked to PTMs of the p53 protein.
Oxidative Stress
It is well established that p53 is involved in redox homeostasis and that loss of its biological activity, caused by changes in its conformational structure, leads to exacerbation of oxidative stress (Zhao and Zhao, 2013). Growing evidence proposes oxidative stress to be a critical factor in both AD initiation and progression with a strong relationship to Aβ and Tau-induced neurotoxicity forming feedback loops to accelerate AD progression (
The cysteine rich metallothionein protein has been implicated in the cellular detoxification of inorganic species, accomplished by sequestering metal ions present in increased concentrations. Specifically, this was shown in the hippocampus of old rats where metallothionein isoforms I + II and III and interleukin-6 found in the hippocampus of old rats, where increments in their expression could potentially lead to neurodegeneration (
Amyloid Accumulation
Amyloid plaque accumulation in the AD brain has also been linked to p53 (
Inflammation
An inflammatory environment has been linked to, specifically an immune infiltrate localized to amyloid plaques within the AD brain to AD pathology (
Cell Cycle Deregulation
Cell cycle deregulation has been implicated in AD as a greater number of dividing cells have been observed in AD brains vs. controls (Zhou and Jia, 2010). The cell cycle hypothesis may explain the slow rate of atrophy during the progression of AD (Zhou and Jia, 2010).
The areas previously discussed are all regulated by p53, and deregulation with a subsequent loss of function due to a PTM-related conformational change to unfolded p53 could link p53 to the pathogenesis of AD. The impact of the unfolded conformational variant of p53 is summarized in Figure 3, where the implicated AD pathways are directly linked to the specific factors related to the conformational change in p53.
FIGURE 3

Summary of the main signaling pathways that are affected by the PTM-induced conformational changes causing unfolded p53.
In addition, the functional p53 protein is critical to ensuring that aging cells are suitably regulated. With most of the research over the last 40 years completed on p53 and cancer (
p53 Signaling Pathways in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease
As discussed in the previous section, the main regulation of p53 is by protein-protein interaction, and many PTMs can regulate p53 activity and could be a critical point of dysregulation during the development of AD (
During cellular stress, the p53 response can recruit a number of key signaling proteins, including cell cycle checkpoint inhibitors and others (Shieh et al., 1997;
Cellular Damage
The normal cellular defense activity of p53 is an action to repair the cellular damage or to lead the cell to apoptosis; these are critical processes during cellular aging (
Oxidative Stress
The physiological function of p53 is to respond to oxidative stress, as shown by the activation of antioxidant genes and their associated signaling pathways. These pathways include Manganese Super Oxide Dismutase (MnSOD) and the TP53 induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator (TIGAR) (Sablina et al., 2005;
Aβ Generation
In vitro experiments on BACE, the rate-limiting enzyme in the generation of Aβ, showed its transcription is repressed by p53, thus affecting potential Aβ accumulation. During oxidative damage exposure, p53 expression is upregulated. This leads to a decrease in the level of BACE1 expression and potentially contributes to AD pathogenesis (Singh and Pati, 2015).
mTOR Signaling
The mTOR signaling pathway has been implicated many times in p53 activity, and interestingly, this pathway has been shown to be activated in early AD before dementia (
Sirtuin Pathway
A member of the sirtuin family (SIRT1), is known to regulate cellular metabolic activity through the process of deacetylation/acetylation. Sirtuins are NAD+-reliant deacetylases. Sirtuin deficiency disrupts mitophagy in numerous diseases, including AD (Sidorova-Darmos et al., 2018).
A recent publication has shown another potential p53 regulated pathway involved in AD development involving sirtuin 6 (SIRT6). The SIRT6 pathway promotes cell longevity by controlling several different processes including energy metabolism, genome integrity and inflammation, along with DNA repair. Interestingly a reduction in the level of the SIRT6 protein has been observed in human AD brain samples (
Upregulation of p53 protein by Nutlin-3 avoids SIRT6 decline, and DNA impairment induced by Aβ (
Sirtuin family is both a stimulatory and inhibitory factor linked to p53 and, in postnatal cortical neurons, the p53 related apoptosis required PUMA transcriptional activation. PUMA, along with the Bax-mediated permeabilization of the mitochondrial outer membrane, induces cytochrome C release, caspase activation, triggering cell death. SIRT1 inhibits the apoptosis pathway by deacetylation of p53 in several senescence models (Talebi et al., 2021).
Cyclin Dependent Kinase
Interestingly, a recent study showed the exposure of neurons to fragments 25–35 of Aβ peptide activates Cdk5, which promotes p53 phosphorylation and stabilization (
p53 Conformational Change
The first evidence of a conformational change of p53 in AD was shown by Uberti et al., 2002. They showed that an AD conformational change in p53 occurs in skin fibroblasts isolated from AD patients. Upon the exposure of these skin fibroblasts to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), there is no activation of p53 dependent cell cycle regulators p21, GADD45, and BAX1 genes (Uberti et al., 2006). This impairment resulted in an accelerated re-entry and diminished H2O2-related apoptosis when compared to control fibroblasts. However, this mechanism was not initially shown in neurons but clearly showed DNA damage repair mechanism impairment in peripheral cells. Loss of p53 activity was due to a change in the tertiary structure of the protein as demonstrated by the use of anti-p53 conformational specific antibodies. It was later confirmed that the p53 gene was not mutated, and only the protein conformation had been changed (
The main AD signaling pathways implicated with p53 conformational change are summarized in Figure 3 and are referenced in detail in this section.
Relationship Between Tau, Aβ, and p53
The relationship between Tau, Aβ, and p53 has been explored in many studies and has been considered as a potential therapeutic target for AD (
FIGURE 4

p53 hypothesis in AD. Sub-lethal accumulation of Aβ affects cellular pathways leading to the misfolding of p53 and its loss-of-function, triggering a clinically relevant cascade reaction. In the AD brain, phosphorylated p53 (p-p53) and p53 aggregates are overexpressed compared to the healthy individuals (controls), confirming a different protein behavior than the WT isoform. mTOR, SIRT, and GAP-43 highlighted in red are postulated to be the major pathways involved.
When Aβ is present at nanomolar levels, through the HIPK2 inhibition, it induces metallothionein 2A expression and, with Zn2+-chelating activity, metal ions are sequestered from the p53 DNA binding domain, inducing conformational changes in p53, inhibiting its activity. This directly links to
A link between the p53 Conformational Variant and Aβ by HIPK2–p53 signaling was confirmed by an in vitro study (
p53 regulates a heterogeneous variety of biological functions, which includes neuronal activities including outgrowth and protection of connectivity, and redox homeostasis (
the Conformational Variant of p53 Detected in Alzheimer’s Disease
The importance of the unfolded conformational variant of p53 caused by PTMs has been investigated in several studies comparing AD patients to controls, and a significantly higher expression of the conformational variant of p53 was detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from AD patients (Uberti et al., 2008;
As previously discussed, the expression of the unfolded conformational variant of p53 was investigated in other dementias, and other brain disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, where the data indicated that p53 is differentially expressed when compared to AD patients, thus suggesting specificity for AD (Uberti et al., 2008).
To further investigate the relationship of unfolded p53 isoforms in AD,
The recent study by
The conformational variant of p53, detected by 2D3A8 and then quantified by mass spectroscopy (identified as U-p53AZ), was further validated as a potential prognostic biomarker in AD in a set of plasma samples from the longitudinal and retrospective biobank, AIBL (Piccirella et al., 2021). In detail, 482 individuals (515 total samples) up to 144 months after baseline and at different stages of cognitive decline due to AD were analyzed. The U-p53AZ was shown to have a high prognostic value, predicting the progression to AD from preclinical or prodromal AD with a significant AUC > 0.90, showing prognostic validity more than 6 years prior to signs of clinical symptoms. Additionally, the prognostic performance of this conformational variant of p53 was shown to be higher than other main risk factors alone or in combination with amyloid status. U-p53AZ was also shown to have high diagnostic performance to segregate cognitively normal individuals from those with AD (AUC values > 0.90).
Conclusion
The exact pathology of AD is controversial and remains to be fully elucidated. The validity of the amyloid hypothesis is still being challenged due to the failure of several high-profile drug trials. A significant amount of evidence supports the potential role of p53 in AD pathogenesis, particularly due to the protein’s functional dysregulation and involvement in many AD pathways. PTMs are an important part of the normal regulation of p53 cellular function, and the presence of a conformational change in p53 induced by redox dysfunction in AD, leading to a loss of function in many cellular response pathways, is an indication of a central role in AD. Further studies on the conformational unfolding of p53 showed that the conformational change of the protein impacts on its role, directly increasing or decreasing the activation of specific pathways involved in AD. A recent study has also shown that p53 is expressed in the AD brain in a phosphorylated isoform in correlation with p-Tau (
Further studies will be necessary to further elucidate the mechanism of actions for the specific PTMs of p53 and their involvement in AD pathways.
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Statements
Author contributions
JC, SP, and PK defined the review focus. JC and SP wrote the manuscript. GA, PK, DU, and RK provided approval for publication of the content. All authors contributed to manuscript revision, read, and approved the submitted version.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Adam Tozer for his medical writing assistance in support of Diadem srl.
Conflict of interest
JC, PK, and SP were employed by Diadem srl. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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Summary
Keywords
p53, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), post translational modification (PTM), review, TP53
Citation
Clark JS, Kayed R, Abate G, Uberti D, Kinnon P and Piccirella S (2022) Post-translational Modifications of the p53 Protein and the Impact in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Review of the Literature. Front. Aging Neurosci. 14:835288. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.835288
Received
14 December 2021
Accepted
04 March 2022
Published
28 April 2022
Volume
14 - 2022
Edited by
Silvia Fossati, Temple University, United States
Reviewed by
Patrizia Giannoni, University of Nîmes, France; Maria E. Solesio, Rutgers University, United States
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© 2022 Clark, Kayed, Abate, Uberti, Kinnon and Piccirella.
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*Correspondence: Simona Piccirella, s.piccirella@diademdx.com
This article was submitted to Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias, a section of the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
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