Recently the gene for the cellular tumour antigen p53, a phosphoprotein found in increased concentration in a variety of human cells, had been mapped to region 17q22 by in situ hybridization techniques and has been shown to translocate to the chromosome carrying the translocation [t(15; 17)] associated with acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL). Based on this finding it has been postulated that this gene has a role in the pathogenesis of APL. Here we present evidence that the gene for p53 is not located on the long arm of chromosome 17, but maps to band 17p13. We therefore suggest that this gene is not directly involved in the chromosome translocation observed in APL.