Disruption of actin microfilaments by cytochalasin D leads to activation of p53

Abstract

Activation of p53 plays a central role in the cell's response to various stress signals. We investigated whether p53 is activated upon disruption of actin microfilaments, caused by cytochalasin D (CD). We show that treatment with CD leads to accumulation of p53 in the cells and activation of p53‐dependent transcription. Treatment with CD led to arrest of G1‐to‐S transition in cells retaining wild‐type p53, while cells with inactivated p53 showed partial rescue from it. CD also induces apoptosis in p53+/+, but not in p53−/− cells. The obtained data suggest that disruption of the actin microfilaments activates p53‐dependent pathways.