Four cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors called p15, p16, p21 and p27 have been identified in mammals. Because these proteins participate in the control of cell cycle, they are potential targets for somatic mutations during carcinogenesis. In order to document the prevalence of p15 and p16 alterations in gliomas, we looked for loss of heterozygosity of chromosome 9p where these genes are localized. Allelic losses were observed in 31 of 44 investigated cases. In all cases they involved the p15/p16 locus. We then looked for mutations in the p16 and p15 genes in 46 gliomas. A total of three DNA variants were observed which were all present in the matched constitutional DNA. They may be unrelated to tumor development. A single somatic mutation was detected. It involved a C to G substitution in codon 93 of p16 and is predicted to change a threonine into an arginine. Taken together, these data indicate that inactivation by point mutation of these two cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors is uncommon in glial tumor carcinogenesis, but that there may be a tumor suppressor gene on 9p in the vicinity of p16 and p15 genes.