p53 increase mitochondrial copy number via up-regulation of mitochondrial transcription factor A in colorectal cancer

In colorectal cancer, no study has been carried out discovering the relationship among p53, mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) expression and change of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number. In our study, co-expression of p53 and TFAM was observed in colon adenocarcinoma tissues, paracancerous tissues and 9 colorectal cancer cell lines. Then, a significant linear correlation was established between either p53 or TFAM expression and advanced TNM stage, positive lymph nodes and low 5-year survival rate in patients with colon adenocarcinoma. Additionally, advanced TNM stage, large tumor burden, presence of distant metastasis, and high TFAM expression were significantly related to poor overall 5-years survival. Moreover, alteration of p53 expression could change TFAM expression but TFAM could not influence p53 expression, and p53 could enhance TFAM expression via binding to TFAM promoter. While, both of p53 and TFAM expression could incrase mtDNA copy number in vitro. In conclusions, p53 might incrase mtDNA copy number through its regulation on TFAM expression via TFAMpromoter.