Purified recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage (rhuGM)-CSF, rhuG-CSF, and rhuCSF-1 were evaluated for their capacity to influence the differentiation of U-937 cells and normal human monocytes. The human U-937 cell line represents an early stage of monocytic differentiation. It was found that rhuGM-CSF and rhuG-CSF, but not rhuCSF-1, induced phenotypic changes consistent with monocyte/macrophage differentiation in U-937 cells. After 3 days of culture in the presence of either rhuGM-CSF or rhuG-CSF, a small but significant proportion of U-937 cells were able to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium. Nitroblue tetrazolium reduction, however, was maximally induced when rhuGM-CSF and rhuG-CSF were added in combination. These changes were accompanied by increased alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase activity, acquisition of macrophage morphology, Mo-1 Ag expression, and decreased cell proliferation. rhuGM-CSF alone also induced expression of the c-fms proto-oncogene (CSF-1 receptor) in U-937 cells and this expression was enhanced by the combination of rhuGM-CSF and rhuG-CSF. In cultured normal human peripheral blood monocytes, representing a late stage of maturation, rhuGM-CSF and rhuCSF-1 differentially increased Mo-1 and My-4 Ag expression, respectively, whereas rhuG-CSF was without effect. Our results suggest that the interaction of GM-CSF, G-CSF, and CSF-1 may play a fundamental role in the early and late stages of the human monocyte/macrophage differentiation process.