Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are key components of regulatory networks that control crucial aspects of cell decision making. The intrinsically disordered transactivation domain (TAD) of tumor suppressor p53 mediates its interactions with multiple regulatory pathways to control the p53 homeostasis during the cellular response to genotoxic stress. Many cancer-associated mutations have been discovered in p53-TAD, but their structural and functional consequences are poorly understood. Here, by combining atomistic simulations, NMR spectroscopy, and binding assays, we demonstrate that cancer-associated mutations can significantly perturb the balance of p53 interactions with key activation and degradation regulators. Importantly, the four mutations studied in this work do not all directly disrupt the known interaction interfaces. Instead, at least three of these mutations likely modulate the disordered state of p53-TAD to perturb its interactions with regulators. Specifically, NMR and simulation analysis together suggest that these mutations can modulate the level of conformational expansion as well as rigidity of the disordered state. Our work suggests that the disordered conformational ensemble of p53-TAD can serve as a central conduit in regulating the response to various cellular stimuli at the protein-protein interaction level. Understanding how the disordered state of IDPs may be modulated by regulatory signals and/or disease associated perturbations will be essential in the studies on the role of IDPs in biology and diseases.