[Environmental carcinogens and p53 gene mutation].

P53 gene is the most prominent tumor suppressor gene in human cancer among those genes that have been found till now. It not only acts as a tumor suppressor gene, but also participates in many cellular functions: cell cycle control, DNA damage and repair, gene transcription and cell apoptosis. The studies on the etiology of cancer show that 60-90% of human cancer are caused by the carcinogens in ambient environment. In the carcinogenic process, environmental carcinogens or pre-carcinogens can cause the changes in p53 gene and protein, the mutation spectra of p53 gene varies with the different carcinogens and cancer type. In these years, many studies on p53 suppressor gene were reported. This article reviews some of the major carcinogens in ambient environment which can affect the p53 gene and protein, and the carcinogenic effects of them.