The myeloid interleukin-3 (IL-3) dependent cell line, FDC-P1, enters the G0 stage of the cell cycle after IL-3 deprivation for 24 hr. The expression of 13 protooncogenes and immediate-early genes was compared with 4 "control" genes after the addition of either IL-3 or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) to IL-3-deprived cells. mRNA transcripts encoding c-myc and the T-cell receptor c-gamma gene were induced to high levels only after IL-3 addition, whereas c-fos, fos-B, c-jun, jun-B, Krox-20, and Krox-24 were induced transiently only after PMA addition. The remaining genes (fra-1, p53, jun-D, c-Ha-ras, c-Ki-ras, c-raf, beta-actin, ornithine decarboxylase, and histone 2B) were detected after culture with either IL-3 or PMA. When cells were serum- and IL-3-deprived, c-fos, fos-B, c-jun, jun-B, Krox-20, and Krox-24 were detected after exposure to either serum or PMA. Moreover, culture with cycloheximide and PMA resulted in superinduction of these genes, whereas cycloheximide and IL-3 addition did not. mRNAs encoding these genes had half-lives of 10-20 min after PMA treatment, whereas that of beta-actin was longer (greater than 2 hr), suggesting that short mRNA half-lives contributed to the transient nature of these genes. Although c-fos, fos-B, c-jun, jun-B, Krox-20, and Krox-24 expression can be detected in IL-3-dependent cells after exposure to either PMA or serum, these genes were not detected after IL-3 addition, which allows cell-cycle progression. These results document the existence of IL-3 and PMA-responsive genes and demonstrate that IL-3 and protein kinase C agonists can induce distinct patterns of gene expression.