We recently showed that mRNA levels coding the high-affinity Fc gamma receptor for IgG (Fc gamma R-I, CD64) and two of the components of the phagocytic superoxide anion-generating system--the heavy-chain subunit of cytochrome b558 (gp91-phox) and the 47-Kd cytosolic factor (p47-phox)--are modulated by interferon gamma (IFN-gamma). In this study, we examined whether dexamethasone (DEX) affects gp91-phox and p47-phox mRNA expression of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN), treated or not with IFN-gamma. We also investigated whether staurosporine, a general inhibitor of protein kinases, influences gp91-phox, p47-phox, and Fc gamma R-I gene expression in PMN treated with or without IFN-gamma. We found that (1) gp91-phox mRNA steady-state levels, expressed in control or IFN-gamma-treated PMN, were significantly inhibited, in a dose-dependent fashion, by both DEX and staurosporine; (2) p47-phox mRNA steady-state levels, expressed in control or IFN-gamma-treated PMN, were not influenced by DEX, but were markedly depressed by staurosporine; (3) no changes of spectrophotometric cytochrome b558 were found in PMN treated for up to 20 hours with the inhibitors, regardless of the presence of IFN-gamma; (4) both DEX and staurosporine dose-dependently inhibited IFN-gamma-induced Fc gamma R-I mRNA and protein expression; and (5) stability of gp91-phox and Fc gamma R-I messages in IFN-gamma-treated PMN was not altered by the presence of DEX. Our results demonstrate that gp91-phox, p47-phox, and Fc gamma R-I gene expression of PMN is governed by specific and independent biochemical pathways. Moreover, IFN-gamma activates different signal transduction pathways to modulate mRNA expression of gp91-phox, p47-phox, and Fc gamma R-I.