TP53 missense mutations are frequent driver events during tumorigenesis. The majority of TP53 mutations are missense and occur within the DNA binding domain of p53, leading to expression of mutant p53 (mut-p53) proteins that not only lose the tumor suppressive functions of the wild-type (wt-p53) form, but can also acquire novel oncogenic features fostering tumor growth, metastasis and chemoresistance. Mut-p53 affects fundamental cellular pathways and functions through different mechanisms, a major one being the alteration of gene expression. In our recent work (Capaci et al., 2020, Nat Commun) we found that mut-p53, via miR-30d, modifies structure and function of the Golgi apparatus (GA) and induces increased rate of trafficking. This culminates in the release of a pro-malignant secretome, which is capable of remodeling the tumor microenvironment (TME), to increase stiffness of the extracellular matrix (ECM), favouring metastatic colonization, as shown by cell-based assays and experiments of metastatic niche preconditioning in mouse xenograft models. This study provides new insights into the mechanisms by which mut-p53, through induction of non-coding RNAs, can exert pro-tumorigenic functions in a non-cell-autonomous fashion, and highlights potential non-invasive biomarkers and therapeutic targets to treat tumors harboring mut-p53 (Figure 1).
