Normal p53 protein suppresses cell proliferation and ras oncogene-induced cell transformation. Missense mutations in the middle conserved conformational domain of p53 decrease its antiproliferation function. In this work, we studied the requirement of the NH2- and COOH-terminal regions of p53 in its antiproliferation function using two independent assays, growth of chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cells on methylcellulose semisolid medium and ras oncogene-induced focus formation of rat fibroblast cells (Rat-1). We found that deletion of 80 or 159 amino acids from the NH2-terminus and deletion of 67 amino acids from the COOH-terminus of p53 drastically reduced the antiproliferation function of p53. However, the COOH-terminal deletion mutant is capable of binding to a p53 DNA-binding element, p53CON (GGACATGCCCGGGCATGTCC), and of activating p53CON-mediated transcription. These results suggest that p53' abilities to bind p53CON and activate transcription are not sufficient for its antiproliferation function and that p53CON-regulated genes may not be growth suppressive.