Soluble chromium (VI) compounds either alone or in combination with 3-methylcholanthrene (MC) were used to transform non-tumorigenic osteoblast-like human osteosarcoma cells (HOS TE85). The Cr(VI) compounds were highly toxic to these cells with LC50 values in the range of approximately 0.5-1.0 microM. Continuous passaging of the treated cells resulted in sustained increase in anchorage-independent (AI) colony formation. Treatment with Cr(VI) and MC resulted in substantial increase in AI growth. At the XVth passage, a number of individual AI colonies were expanded in culture and used for further studies. The cells are refractory in appearance and grow as 'nests' rather than as monolayers. The cell lines have relatively high plating efficiency (PE) in soft agar and respond to promotional effect of phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate by an increase in PE and in the size and number of AI colonies. While the isolated cells are not tumorigenic when tested in athymic nude mice, most of the lines possess higher levels of plasminogen activator (PA) activity, considered as one of the markers of transformation. This is also reflected in the increase in the steady state level of urokinase type PA mRNA. These results show that Cr(VI) compounds are capable of promoting human cells to an altered phenotype characteristic of a stage in the carcinogenesis cascade.