Association of p53 with Neurodegeneration in Parkinson's Disease

p53 is a vital transcriptional protein implicated in regulating diverse cellular processes, including cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, mitochondrial metabolism, redox homeostasis, autophagy, senescence, and apoptosis. Recent studies have revealed that p53 levels and activity are substantially increased in affected neurons in cellular and animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD) as well as in the brains of PD patients. p53 activation in response to neurodegenerative stress is closely associated with the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons accompanied by mitochondrial dysfunction, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, abnormal protein aggregation, and impairment of autophagy, and these pathogenic events have been implicated in the pathogenesis of PD. Pathogenic p53 integrates diverse cellular stresses and activate these downstream events to induce the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons; thus, it plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of PD and appears to be a potential target for the treatment of the disease. We reviewed the current knowledge concerning p53-dependent neurodegeneration to better understand the underlying mechanisms and provide possible strategies for PD treatment by targeting p53.