We have recently reported that mutant but not wild-type (wt) p53 protein was ADP-ribosylated in primary rat cells overexpressing the temperature-sensitive murine p53val135 gene. To examine whether the lack of susceptibility to modification is a specific feature of p53val135 adopting wt conformation or rather a general property of this tumor suppressor protein, we have studied ADP-ribosylation of wt p53 of different origin in vitro using semi-purified poly(ADP-ribose) transferase (pADPRT). In vitro pADPRT modified human and mouse wt p53 and p53val135. Under limiting substrate concentration, the molar mass of ADP-ribosylated p53 was only slightly altered. Chase experiments with high NAD concentration resulted in the formation of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated p53 protein shifted to 64 kD. However, preincubation of wt p53 proteins with a p53 consensus sequence resulting in complex formation abolished the modification of wt p53. This indicates that in the cellular environment the specific DNA binding of wt p53 prevents its covalent modification by poly(ADP-ribose).