The relationship between p53 gene status and the expression of DR5 and Fas was evaluated as a function of sensitivity of 11 acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines to adriamycin, etoposide, vincristine, methotrexate and dexamethasone. There was up to a 37-fold increase in expression of DR5 following treatment with ADR or VP-16 only in cells with wt p53. A direct correlation was observed between enhanced DR5 expression and sensitivity to ADR and VP-16. There was no induction of DR5 following treatment with VCR, MTX or DEX. There was up to a 51-fold increase in the median level of expression of Fas following treatment with ADR and VP-16, and unlike DR5 this occurred in cells with either wild-type or mutant p53. Nevertheless, a direct correlation was observed between Fas expression and drug-sensitivity. Conversely, there was only a two-fold increase in expression of Fas after exposure to VCR, MTX and DEX. These findings suggest that DR5 mediates sensitivity to ADR and VP-16 in a p53-dependent manner, whereas, Fas appears to mediate sensitivity to these two drugs independent of p53 status. DR5 and Fas do not appear to play a major role as determinants of chemosensitivity to VCR, MTX and DEX.