Merck, MABE339, Anti-p53 (wild type) Antibody, clone PAb1620

Wild-type p53 is present in the nucleus of all normal mammalian cells where it appears to be involved in the regulation of cell proliferation. The normal protein has a very short half-life and is present in only minute amounts in normal tissues and cells. In contrast, mutant p53 protein produced by malignant cells is usually a product of a point mutation in the p53 gene leading to substitution of a single amino acid that significantly prolongs the half-life of the protein. The accumulation of high levels of p53 is a potential novel marker for malignancy.