the p53 DATABASE

The Common Chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes ), also known as the Robust Chimpanzee , is a great ape. The name troglodytes , Greek for 'cave-dweller', was coined by Johann Friedrich Blumenbach in his Handbuch der Naturgeschichte (Handbook of Natural History) published in 1779. Colloquially, it is often called the chimpanzee (or simply 'chimp'), though technically this term refers to both species in the genus Pan : the Common Chimpanzee and the closely-related Bonobo, or Pygmy Chimpanzee.
Common Chimpanzees are found in the tropical forests and wet savannas of Western and Central Africa . They once inhabited most of this region, but their habitat has been dramatically reduced in recent years. Chimpanzees live in groups (communities) from 15-120 strong. These groups are flexible associations of males and females that share a common home range. A community has a dominant male leader. The entire community rarely congregates together in the same place. Community borders are patrolled by male parties and outsiders may be attacked and killed. Males seldom leave the community into which they are born, but females generally leave migrate to a new community during an adolescent estrous period. Within these communities individuals have their own 'core' areas and spend 80% of their time in these. Each chimpanzee has its own network of social contacts. Male chimps tend to associate with their maternal brothers but will associate with other males as well. Although males are commonly aggressive to each other they also actively seek out and groom one another. Grooming to remove dirt and external parasites is important in maintaining friendly relations and can also be used as a means of exchange to gain favors from another individual.
The life expectancy of a chimpanzee ranges from 40 to 45 years in the wild, sometimes longer in captivity. Chimpanzees reproduce approximately 1 infant every five or so years, from adolescence at age of 13. There is no standard breeding season in chimpanzees like many other animals. Females mate when they are in heat and may be promiscuous or form an exclusive 'consort ship' with a single male. Females are not receptive to courtship or mating for 3-4 years after giving birth and generally will not have another baby for 5-6 years if the first young survives. Young ride on the mothers back for several years, are weaned between 3.5 and 4.5 years but may still travel with her at age 10. Bonds between mother and young may persist throughout life.
Human and Common Chimpanzee DNA is very similar. The genus Pan is now considered to be part of the subfamily Homininae to which humans also belong. Biologists believe that the two species of chimpanzees are the closest living evolutionary relatives to humans. It is thought that humans shared a common ancestor with chimpanzees as recently as four to seven million years ago. [ citation needed ] Groundbreaking research by Mary-Claire King in 1973 found 99% identical DNA between human beings and chimpanzees, although research since has modified that finding to about 94% commonality, with at least some of the difference occurring in 'junk' DNA. It has even been proposed that troglodytes and paniscus belong with sapiens in the genus Homo , rather than in Pan . One argument for this is that other species have been reclassified to belong to the same genus on the basis of less genetic similarity than that between humans and chimpanzees.
Role of p53 gene in Pan troglodytes
The p53 protein is an important tumor suppressor because of its ability to produce apoptosis in the tumor cells. This protein can also arrest the cell cycle and allows cell repair before the start of replication. The p53 protein also plays an important role in the embryonic development of vertebrates by regulating the proliferation and apoptosis of the cells [Levine et al. , 2004]. The p53 protein is a relative of the p63/p73 protein family, which is somewhat structurally similar to p53, but differs from it by the presence of a unique C-terminal domain. The proteins of this family can induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, but they are of greater importance in embryogenesis than p53. Establishment of the relation between structure, function and evolution of these two families is of importance because it would provide a better understanding of the mechanism of their antitumor activity and involvement in embryogenesis
The tumor suppressor p53 activates the transcription of human PIG3 through direct interaction with a polymorphic microsatellite sequence,(TGYCC)n. Here, the evolution of this p53-responsive element was recapitulated.Comparison between primate species revealed that the PIG3 promoter acquired this sequence element in its full length only in Hominoidea (apes and humans), whereas the number of TGYCC repeats is far lower in monkeys. Accordingly, only the PIG3 promoters from Hominoidea respond efficiently to p53, whereas those from monkeys respond poorly or not at all. In parallel, the PIG3 gene was strongly induced by p53in human and chimpanzee cells but was unaffected by p53 in cells derivedfrom a common marmoset monkey. Thus, a novel p53 target gene appeared as recently as during the evolution of primates. This suggests that mechanisms of tumor suppression are subject to ongoing evolution inhumans and their closest relatives.