We have previously demonstrated that the exposure of mouse microvascular endothelium (MME) to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) led to the increased binding of mouse mastocytoma cells (P815) to endothelial monolayers (Bereta et al., in press). In the current study we examined the possible involvement of protein kinases in TNF signal transduction in the endothelial cells. PKA does not appear to play a role in the potentiation of binding by TNF. We found that the TNF-generated signal is inhibited by H-7 and sangivamycin, but not by staurosporine. TNF did not cause translocation of PKC to the cell membrane and its effect could not be completely mimicked by PMA nor by PMA in the presence of calcium-raising agents. Thus, we concluded that the "classical" PKC pathway is not completely responsible for TNF signalling in this system. We also found that staurosporine itself strongly enhanced adhesion of tumor cells to endothelium, utilizing a mechanism distinct from that of TNF. Although the data provide evidence for the role of kinases in the effect of TNF on binding of tumor cells to MME, this role appears to be a complex one.