Human skin melanocytes and melanocytes cultured in vitro express GM3 ganglioside almost exclusively, whereas malignant melanomas express high levels of both GM3 and GD3. We now show that treatment of cultured melanocytes with tumor necrosis factor-alpha, particularly in the presence of tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, results in a change in morphology from spindle-shaped to epithelioid and greatly enhanced expression of GD3 ganglioside. This effect is specific and no other ganglioside is affected, except that GM3 expression (which is already high) is also increased. In contrast, these agents did not enhance the already high expression of GD3 on melanoma cells. This result provides an example of the plasticity of glycolipid expression in mammalian cells and their susceptibility to the influence of biological agents.