DNA damage induced p53 downregulates Cdc20 by direct binding to its promoter causing chromatin remodeling

CDC20 is a critical molecule in the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC). It activates the Anaphase promoting complex and helps a dividing cell to proceed towards Anaphase. CDC20 is overexpressed in many tumor cells which cause chromosomal instability. There have been limited reports on the mechanism of SAC's response to genotoxic stress. We show that ectopically expressed p53 or DNA damage induced endogenous p53 can downregulate Cdc20 transcriptionally. We have identified a consensus p53-binding site on the Cdc20 promoter and have shown that it is being used by p53 to bind the promoter and bring about chromatin remodeling thereby repressing Cdc20. Additionally, p53 also downregulates Cdc20 promoter through CDE/CHR element, but in a p21 independent manner. This CDE/CHR element-mediated downregulation occurs only under p53 overexpressed condition but not in the context of DNA damage. The present results suggest that the two CCAAT elements in the Cdc20 promoter are not used by p53 to downregulate its activity, as reported earlier.