Murine L1210 and human HL-60 leukemia cells grown for 5-7 days in medium containing 1% serum without selenium supplementation [Se(-) cells] were severely depressed in selenoperoxidase (SePX) activity relative to selenium-supplemented controls [Se(+) cells]. Catalase (CAT) activity in Se(-) cells was unaffected up to this point, but thereafter began to increase. Two manifestations of this increase have been differentiated for both cell lines: (a) short-term induction of CAT (up to approx. twofold) after 2-3 weeks, followed by (b) long-term selection for cells that irreversibly express much higher levels of CAT, e.g., > 100 times (L1210) and > 10 times (HL-60) the levels observed in Se(+) controls after approximately 20 weeks. Although superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase, and glucose-6-P dehydrogenase activities were unchanged in Se(-) cells, GSH levels were elevated by 50-100%; like short-term CAT elevation, this could be reversed by supplying Se. Short-term Se(-) cells were more sensitive to H2O2-induced killing than Se(+) cells, evidently because SePX activity was important for peroxide detoxification. However, long-term Se(-) cells were markedly more resistant to H2O2 than Se(+) counterparts, consistent with the much higher levels of CAT in the former. Southern blot analysis revealed that the copy number of CAT DNA in a clone of long-term Se(-) L1210 cells was four- to fivefold greater than that in an Se(+) clone. Northern blot analysis of RNA from the same Se(-) clone showed a CAT mRNA level that was at least 40 times higher than that of the Se(+) control. Similar trends were observed for HL-60 cells. These results suggest that elevated CAT during long-term Se deprivation is a reflection of amplification and greater transcription of the CAT gene.