Recent progress and open challenges in modeling p53 dynamics in single cells

In mammalian cells, the tumor suppressor p53 is activated upon a variety of cellular stresses and ensures an appropriate response ranging from arrest and repair to the induction of senescence and apoptosis. Quantitative measurements in individual living cells showed stimulus-dependent dynamics of p53 accumulation upon stress induction. Due to the complexity of the underlying biochemical interactions, mathematical models were indispensable for understanding the topology of the network regulating p53 dynamics. Recent work provides further insights into the causes of heterogeneous responses in individual cells, the rewiring of the network in response to different inputs and the role of the downstream processes in determining the cellular fate upon stress.