p54

P54 is a label used in scientific literature that can refer to several different entities, most commonly a protein or polypeptide with an estimated molecular mass of about 54 kilodaltons (kDa). Because many proteins are named by their apparent molecular weight, “p54” is not a single, universal identifier but a descriptor that must be clarified by context such as species, gene name, or experimental system.

The term appears in diverse fields. In molecular biology and biochemistry, p54-designations are used for various proteins across organisms that share an approximate size of 54 kDa. In plasmid or vector nomenclature, “p” followed by numbers is a common convention, so a study may refer to a plasmid named p54. In virology and related areas, some viral or cellular proteins around 54 kDa are referred to as p54 in the literature.

Disambiguation practice: to identify the exact meaning of p54 in a given source, check the full name or gene/protein identifier (for example, a UniProt or NCBI entry), the organism, and the experimental context. If the source cites a Western blot or SDS-PAGE result, the 54 kDa band indicates a candidate protein, but identification typically requires sequence or functional analysis.

See also: molecular weight-based protein nomenclature; plasmid naming conventions.