Tiazofurin, a potent inhibitor of inosine 5'-phosphate dehydrogenase, depletes guanine nucleotide pools and induces granulocytic maturation of HL-60 leukemia cells. These effects are reversed when cells exposed to this agent for 24 h are washed and placed in tiazofurin-free medium. HL-60 cells treated with tiazofurin for a 24 h period, retain a precommitment memory that lessens the time interval necessary for cells to express the mature phenotype upon re-exposure. That protein synthesis was required for maintaining the expression of memory was demonstrated by the finding that memory was blocked when primed cells were exposed to cycloheximide during the intervening inducer-free interval, but not during the priming or subsequent drug exposure periods. The findings have significance with respect to the sequence of events required for commitment to a differentiation pathway.