Mesoscopic Liquid Clusters Represent a Distinct Condensate of Mutant p53

The oncogenic properties of mutant p53 have been ascribed to destabilization of the p53 conformation, followed by aggregation into insoluble fibrils. Here we combine immunofluorescent 3D confocal microscopy of breast cancer cells expressing the p53 mutant Arg248Gln (R248Q) with light scattering from solutions of the purified protein and molecular simulations to probe the mechanisms that govern phase behaviors of the mutant across multiple length scales, from cellular to molecular. We establish that p53 R248Q forms mesoscopic protein-rich clusters, an anomalous liquid phase with several unique properties. We demonstrate that the clusters host and facilitate the nucleation of amyloid fibrils. The distinct characteristics of the clusters of R248Q and wild-type p53 and theoretical models indicate that p53 condensation into clusters is driven by the structural destabilization of the core domain and not by interactions of its extensive disordered region. Two-step nucleation of mutant p53 amyloids suggests means to control fibrillization and the associated pathologies through modifying the cluster behaviors. In a broader context, our findings exemplify interactions between distinct protein phases that activate complex physicochemical mechanisms operating in biological systems.