Characterization of an Hsp90-independent interaction between the co-chaperone p23 and the transcription factor p53

The cancer-suppressing transcription factor p53 is regulated by a wide variety of cellular factors, including many chaperones. The DNA-binding domain (DBD) of p53 is known to interact with the chaperone Hsp90, but the role of other members of the chaperone network, including co-chaperones such as p23 is unknown. Using a combination of NMR titration, isothermal titration calorimetry, fluorescence anisotropy and native agarose gel electrophoresis, we have identified a direct interaction between the p53 DBD and the Hsp90 co-chaperone p23 that occurs in the absence of Hsp90. The affinity is relatively weak, and largely determined by electrostatic interactions between the acidic C-terminal disordered tail of p23 and the two DNA binding regions of p53 DBD. We show by NMR and native agarose gel electrophoresis that a p53-specific double-stranded DNA sequence competes successfully with p23 for binding to the p53 DBD. The Hsp90-independence of the interaction between p23 and p53 DBD, together with the p23-DNA comp...