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Access through your institution Buy or subscribe The tumour suppressor gene _p53_ was named after the apparent molecular mass of its protein product. This nomenclature is not ideal as can
lead to confusion between proteins that have the same masses. It is even more confusing in the light of the report by Robin Fåhraeus and colleagues on page 462 of this issue that there are
two alternative products of the p53 gene, which have relative masses of 53K and 47K, respectively. The authors found that the _p53_ gene contains two in-frame alternative start codons.
Initiation of translation at the internal start codon leads to the synthesis of truncated form of p53, designated p53/47, which lacks the Mdm2-binding site and most of the amino-terminal
transactivation domain of full-length p53. Expression of p53/47 does not depend on expression of full-length p53. Although Mdm2 also regulates the translation of p53/47, it does not induce
its degradation, so Mdm2 expression alters the ratio of p53 to p53/47 (see Figure). This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your
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our FAQs * Contact customer support Authors * Valerie Ferrier View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and
permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Ferrier, V. Mini p53. _Nat Cell Biol_ 4, E156 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb0602-e156 Download citation * Issue Date: 01 June 2002 *
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb0602-e156 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not
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