Mutation of the p53 gene is a common occurrence in human breast cancers but is by no means universal. However, even in tumours where the gene is not mutated altered levels of p53 protein are often detected. This is also observed in cell lines derived from human breast cancers. By transfecting such cell lines containing either wild type or mutant p53 genes with a temperature-sensitive mutant mouse p53 gene we have established that the cellular environment plays a critical role in the regulation of p53 protein expression. The results suggest that tumours that aberrantly express wild-type p53 may have lost the normal growth regulatory response to the protein and thus be functionally similar to those expressing the mutant protein.