The bcl-x gene product has two forms, bcl-xl and bcl-xs. The bcl-xl form, similar to bcl-2, inhibits apoptosis. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction/single-stranded conformation polymorphism (RT-PCR-SSCP) gel analysis was used to screen for mutations of the bcl-xl transcript of 50 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) cases. One missense mutation in a patient with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was found. Sequence analysis of this case showed that AGC (Ser) was mutated to GGC (Gly) in codon 154. An examination of mutation and/or polymorphism in born marrow samples of this case and 50 normal controls by the RT-PCR-SSCP method could not detect bandshifts. Mutation of the bcl-x gene in NHL has not been reported previously. There is a possibility that mutation of the bcl-x gene play a role in the tumorigenesis of NHL.