The 6M2 cell line was established by transformation of normal rat kidney cells with the ts110 mutant of Moloney murine sarcoma virus (Mo-MSV). P85gag-mos was found to be the only known viral-transforming protein in this cell system. Previously, we described the detection in 6M2 cells of rat-specific transformation-associated proteins (TAPs) using a monoclonal antibody (MC). In this study, we used MC to investigate further the expression of TAPs at different temperatures and the time course of turn-on and shut-off of TAPs upon temperature shifting. It was found that TAPs were expressed at 24, 28 and 33 degrees C, but not at 37 and 39 degrees C. In experiments of temperature shifting, TAPs reappeared in about 6 h in 6M2 cells after the temperature was shifted from 39 to 33 degrees C, following closely the reappearance of P85gag-mos. The data in this communication support the notion that TAPs might be activated by the v-mos gene product during the process of transformation.