Allison St. John

Ms. Allison St. John


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

1Year (2026-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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25 March 2026 in Cancers
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
DTDipesh Thapa
Dipesh Thapa
AJAllison St. John
Allison St. John
APAlejandro Parrales
Alejandro Parrales
ARAtul Ranjan
Atul Ranjan
TITomoo Iwakuma
Tomoo Iwakuma
MDM4 (Murine Double Minute 4), also known as MDMX, is a crucial negative regulator of the tumor suppressor p53. MDM4 heterodimerizes with MDM2 to enhance MDM2-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of p53, thereby promoting tumorigenesis. Beyond its canonical role in inhibiting p53 activity, recent studies have revealed diverse p53-independent functions. MDM4 interacts with various proteins, including p73, E2F1, casein kinase 1α, PPARα, and TRIM21 to regulate cell cycle progression, β-catenin-mediated pre-leukemic progression, and ferroptosis independent of p53. In addition, MDM4 functions independently of both p53 and MDM2 by interacting with proteins, such as SMAD family members 3/4, retinoblastoma protein (pRB), p21, Nbs1 (also known as Nibrin), mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1), and the Polycomb Repressive Complexes (PRCs) complex, to control cell proliferation and survival, as well as protein degradation, double-strand break (DSB) repair, and replication fork progression. Intriguingly, multiple studies suggest that MDM4 exhibits oncogenic activity independent of p53; however, other reports highlight a potential tumor-suppressive role for MDM4 in the absence of p53. Thus, MDM4’s functions extend well beyond the canonical p53–MDM2 axis. A deeper understanding of MDM4 biology may facilitate the development of novel targeted therapies for various cancers.