The WRAP53 gene encodes both an antisense transcript (WRAP53α) that stabilizes the tumor suppressor p53 and a protein (WRAP53β) involved in maintenance of Cajal bodies, telomere elongation and DNA repair. WRAP53β is one of many proteins containing WD40 domains, known to mediate a variety of cellular processes. These proteins lack enzymatic activity, acting instead as platforms for the assembly ...

BACKGROUND Although the majority of investigations concerned with TP53 and its protein have focused on coding regions, recently a set of studies highlighted significant roles of regulatory elements located in p53 mRNA, especially 5 ? UTR. The wrap53α transcript is one of those that acts as a natural antisense agent, forming RNA-RNA hybrids with p53 mRNA and protecting it from degradation. MAT...

Background: TP53 and the oncogene WRAP53 are adjoining genes, producing p53-WRAP53α sense-antisense RNA couples. WRAP53α is indispensable for p53 mRNA regulation and p53 induction following DNA damage. Up-regulated WRAP53β can induce neoplastic transformation and cancer cell survival. All these, along with the associations of WRAP53 single nu...