smg p21A and -B (smg p21s) are ras p21-like small GTP-binding proteins (G proteins) with the same putative effector domain as ras p21s. Both smg p21A mRNA and smg p21B mRNA were detected in CMK, a human megakaryocytic leukemia cell line, and their levels were markedly elevated by treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), which caused the differentiation of this cell line into more mature megakaryocytes. The smg p21 protein molecules also increased during the TPA-induced differentiation of CMK cells. The mRNA level of glycoprotein IIb (GPIIb), a typical marker of the megakaryocytes, was increased by this treatment, but the time course of the increase in the smg p21 mRNA levels as more rapid than that of the increase in the GPIIb mRNA level. Ha-ras p21 mRNA was undetectable, but both Ki- and N-ras p21 mRNAs were detected in CMK cells and their levels were also increased during TPA-induced differentiation of CMK cells, although to a lesser extent than those of smg p21 mRNAs. Protein kinase C inhibitors inhibited the basal and TPA-induced smg p21A mRNA level, but cyclic AMP-elevating prostaglandin E1 or Ca(2+)-mobilizing ionomycin did not inhibit them. Cycloheximide enhanced the basal and TPA-induced smg p21A mRNA levels. Actinomycin D blocked the TPA-induced smg p21A mRNA levels, but showed no detectable effect on the elevated smg p21A mRNA level which was induced by pretreatment with TPA. A dramatic increase in the smg p21 mRNA levels was also observed in other leukemia cell lines during TPA-induced differentiation. These results suggest that TPA stimulated expression of the smg p21A gene, presumably through the action of protein kinase C at the transcriptional level rather than at the post-transcriptional level, in hematopoietic leukemia cells.