Blockage by Adenovirus E4orf6 of Transcriptional Activation by the p53 Tumor Suppressor

The adenovirus E4orf6 protein is shown here to interact with the cellular tumor suppressor protein p53 and to block p53-mediated transcriptional activation. The adenovirus protein inhibited the ability of p53 to bind to human TAFII31, a component of transcription factor IID (TFIID). Earlier work demonstrated that the interaction of p53 with TAFII31 involves a sequence near the NH2-terminus of p53, whereas the E4orf6-p53 interaction occurs within amino acids 318 to 360 of p53. Thus, the E4orf6 protein interacts at a site on p53 distinct from the domain that binds to TAFII31 but nevertheless inhibits the p53-TAFII31 interaction.