Two calcium binding proteins, MRP-8 and MRP-14, are specifically synthesized in human myeloid cells. This paper shows that Me2SO, all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) and 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1 alpha,25(OH)2D3), but not 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (PMA) are potent inducers of MRP-8/14 protein complex in human leukemic cells. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) is shown to enhance the inductive effect of RA and 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3. We have examined the possibility that MRP expression is regulated through the protein kinase pathway. Both cytosolic and membrane-bound protein kinase C (PKC) activities increased during differentiation by RA and 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3. PMA-treatment led to a decrease of cytosolic PKC activity and an increase of membrane-bound PKC activity in the presence of these differentiation inducers, while PMA alone resulted in low cytosolic and high membrane-bound PKC activities. PKC inhibitor H7 inhibited MRP synthesis in HL-60 cells treated with RA and 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3. These results suggest that cytosolic PKC activity may be involved in a stimulatory pathway of MRP synthesis and that protein phosphorylation reactions may play important roles in MRP expression during myelocytic differentiation.