Treatment of WEHI 231 immature B-lymphoma cells with an antibody against their surface immunoglobulin (anti-Ig) induces apoptosis and has been studied extensively as a model of B-cell tolerance. Anti-Ig treatment of exponentially growing WEHI 231 cells results in an early transient increase in c-myc expression that is followed by a decline to below basal levels; this decrease in c-myc expression immediately precedes the induction of cell death. Here we have modulated NF-kappaB/Rel factor activity, which regulates the rate of c-myc gene transcription, to determine whether the increase or decrease in c-Myc-levels mediates apoptosis in WEHI 231 cells. Addition of the serine/threonine protease inhibitor N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (TPCK), which blocks the normally rapid turnover of the specific inhibitor of NF-kappaB/Rel IkappaBalpha in these cells, caused a drop in Rel-related factor binding. TPCK treatment resulted in decreased c-myc expression, preventing the usual increase seen following anti-Ig treatment. Whereas inhibition of the induction of c-myc expression mediated by anti-Ig failed to block apoptosis, reduction of c-myc expression in exponentially growing WEHI 231 cells induced apoptosis even in the absence of anti-Ig treatment. In WEHI 231 clones ectopically expressing c-Myc, apoptosis induced by treatment with TPCK or anti-Ig was significantly diminished and cells continued to proliferate. Furthermore, apoptosis of WEHI 231 cells ensued following enhanced expression of Mad1, which has been found to reduce functional c-Myc levels. These results indicate that the decline in c-myc expression resulting from the drop in NF-kappaB/Rel binding leads to activation of apoptosis of WEHI 231 B cells.