TP53 (
Tumor Protein 53, previously known as p53) is probably the best known of all tumor suppressor genes, and is mutated in nearly all (96%) high-grade serous
ovarian cancer (HGS-OvCa), which is the most common histopathological type of
epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Recently, TP53 is found to involve in regulating cell metabolic pathways besides its classical
tumor suppressive functions. In addition, emerging evidence suggests that mutant TP53 is associated with
cancer metastasis. Through summarizing and comparing the roles of wild-type TP53 and mutant TP53 in the progression of various types of
cancer, we hypothesize that mutant TP53 in HGS-OvCa cells interacts with
sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) and
guanidinoacetate N-methyltransferase (GAMT), leading to increased gene expression of key
enzymes involved in
fatty acids (FAs) and
cholesterol biosynthesis and the inhibition of
fatty acid oxidation (FAO), thus promotes
lipid anabolism to accelerate
tumor growth and progression. Elevated platelet number in patients' tumor microenvironment results in increased TGF-β production. Then, TGF-β acts in concert with mutant TP53 to promote HGS-OvCa
metastasis by assembling a mutant-TP53/p63/Smads
protein complex, in which p63's functions as
metastasis suppressor are antagonized, and by enhancing the activities of the Slug/Snail and Twist families to drive induce EMT-like transition. Then adipocyte-derived
IL-8 facilitates the
metastasis of transformative
cancer cells to abdominal adipose tissue (e.g., omentum). Once
metastasis is established, mutant TP53 together with adipocyte-derived
IL-8 upregulates
Fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) expression and then promotes FAs absorption from adipocytes to support rapid
tumor growth in adipocyte-rich metastatic environments. In summary, these indicate that mutant TP53 may play determinant roles in the progression of HGS-OvCa.