We have shown here that in 70% of Burkitt lymphoma cell lines, but not in normal EBV transformed B cell lines, p53 protein is readily detectable by Western blot analysis using either an antibody directed against the 240 epitope or an antibody against wild-type p53.
Activation of endogenous wt p53 in BLs and lymphoblastoid cell lines led to the induction of SAP and this was inhibited by the specific p53 inhibitor pifithrin-alpha.