We examined the distribution of calpains I and II in human hematopoietic system cell lines by Western and Northern blot analyses and enzyme activity assay. Expression of calpain I, a low Ca(2+)-requiring cysteine protease, was observed in all human T-cell lines tested. By contrast, expression of calpain II, a high Ca(2+)-requiring form, in human T-cells was closely correlated with human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) infection, which is known to result in the expression of adult T-cell leukemia-associated antigens, interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor alpha, and Ca(2+)-dependent cell proliferation. Specific expression of calpain II in HTLV-I-infected cells occurred at the mRNA level. Furthermore, expression of calpain II in human natural killer-like cells was augmented by HTLV-I pX gene transfection. In HTLV-I-infected cells, the trans-acting transcriptional activation of the long terminal repeat and control elements for the IL-2 receptor alpha, c-fos, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor genes by the Tax from the pX gene is already known. Our results suggest that the similar trans-activation occurs to the calpain II gene in HTLV-I-infected hematopoietic system cells.