Monochlorobimane (syn-(ClCH2, CH3)-1,5-diazabicyclo-[3.3.0]-octa-3,6-dione-2,8-dione; mBCl) forms a fluorescent adduct with glutathione (GSH), which has been used as a basis for flow cytometric analysis. While mBCl will react nonspecifically with many different thiols, preferential derivatization of GSH can be achieved by using a low concentration of mBCl, since the reaction with GSH is catalyzed by GSH S-transferase, and the nonenzymatic reaction is very slow (k = 3.3 x 10(-1) M-1 s-1 at 37 degrees C, pH 7.5). The rate of derivatization of cellular GSH can be 1000 times greater than predicted from the nonenzymatic reaction rate, although this factor can vary among cell lines. GSH values obtained by flow cytometry (FCM) agree well with those obtained by an enzymatic assay, over a wide range of GSH values, for EMT6/SF cells treated with L-buthionine sulfoximine to vary GSH content. FCM analysis of the GSH content of cells obtained by disaggregation of EMT6/SF tumors, grown in BALB/c mice, revealed a wide variation in single-cell GSH content. The data suggest that there are distinct subpopulations within these tumors, which can be partially characterized by GSH content, but may also have other distinguishing characteristics, such as enhanced sensitivity or resistance to cytotoxic agents. Heterogeneity in single-cell GSH content was also observed by FCM analysis of cells obtained by disaggregation of a biopsy of a human renal cell carcinoma. This result points to the potential value of FCM analysis of GSH in the identification and characterization of human tumor subpopulations which may be of clinical significance in the treatment of cancer by radiation or chemotherapeutic agents.