The c-Mpl, thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor specificially controls megakaryocytic growth and differentiation. TPO increased the c-mpl promoter activity determined by a transient expression system using a vector containing the luciferase gene as a reporter in the human megakaryoblastic cell line CMK. The maximal promoter activity of c-mpl was obtained 24 hr after pretreatment with TPO for 3 hr and then declined with time. This increase was completely abolished by protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors (GF109203, calphostin C and H7). Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) treatment led to an increase in c-mpl promoter activity. These results demonstrate that the promoter activity of c-mpl is modulated by transcription through a PKC-dependent pathway.