The recent finding that eight out of 10 multiple myeloma cell lines have p53 gene mutations prompted us to examine the p53 tumour suppressor gene in 25 non-related multiple myeloma patients. None of 19 patient bone marrow samples available for Southern blot analysis showed rearrangements in the p53 gene and only one patient showed loss of the p53 locus. DNA encompassing exons 5, 7, and 8, where p53 mutations commonly cluster, was amplified by PCR. Single-strand conformation polymorphisms of the PCR-amplified exon 5 region were detected in two patients. Direct sequencing of the mutant band revealed that one patient had a C to T transition at codon 138 (Ala to Val) and one patient had a G to C transversion at codon 139 (Lys to Asn). p53 mutations in germline cells in hereditary cancer syndromes predispose the family members to the development of malignancies. We therefore searched for p53 germline mutations in exons 5, 7, and 8 in the affected individuals from three families each with two multiple myeloma patients (these patients include three individuals from the non-related group mentioned above). Using Southern blotting, polymerase chain reaction/single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis and direct sequencing, no germline mutations were found. These results indicate that mutations in exons 5, 7, and 8 of the p53 gene are infrequent in multiple myeloma.