How dominant-negative mutations caused p53 to also be identified as an oncogene,”most p53 mutations eliminate DNA binding and destabilize the protein (mutant protein is functionally “”invisible””)BUT since p53 functions as a tetramer, some mutations that eliminate p53 function (transactivation), also inactivate tetramers containing only 1 mutant subunitIf cells contain equivalent amounts of wild-type and d-n mutant forms of p53 protein

How dominant-negative mutations caused p53 to also be identified as an oncogene,”most p53 mutations eliminate DNA binding and destabilize the protein (mutant protein is functionally “”invisible””)BUT since p53 functions as a tetramer, some mutations that eliminate p53 function (transactivation), also inactivate tetramers containing only 1 mutant subunitIf cells contain equivalent amounts of wild-type and d-n mutant forms of p53 protein

15/16 (~94%) of p53 tetramers in cell are non-functional!”