Influence of natural polyphenolic substances on p53 protein expression

The tumor suppressor protein p53 is one of the major regulators of the cell cycle after DNA damage. In addition to stopping the cycle and repairing DNA, it can, in extreme cases, induce programmed cell death - apoptosis. Mutations in the gene encoding p53 are present in more than 50% of cancer cases. This thesis examines alternative natural polyphenolic substances that could increase the level and expression of p53 protein in tumor cells. These substances could be an alternative to non-specific cytostatics, which bring many undesirable additional effects during treatment. In the theoretical part of the thesis the structure and properties of the p53 protein and describes alternative therapeutic approaches with a focus on polyphenolic substances is explained. The aim of the experimental part was to determine the effect of curcumin and resveratrol in comparison with often used cytostatic drug, doxorubicin, on cell viability of tumor cells and on p53 protein levels. The effect of these substances on the binding of p53 to DNA in yeast systems was also examined. It was found that doxorubin efficiency is many times higher than the examined polyphenolic agents, but resveratrol was showing some potential as a suitable alternative in the treatment of tumors, thanks to the ability to activate apotosis. It was clearly demonstrated that there is an association between induced programmed death and increased p53 protein expression after resveratrol treatment