Neutrophils treated with optimal amounts of tumor promoters that activate protein kinase C (e.g. mezerein) release large quantities of superoxide (O2-) and exhibit an intense phosphorylation of two proteins with molecular masses of approximately 47 and 49 kDa. These cells can also be stimulated synergistically to release a comparable amount of O2-. This involves treatment with a suboptimal amount of a tumor promoter and an agent capable of elevating cellular Ca2+. Neutrophils treated in the former fashion exhibit a redistribution of the activity of protein kinase C from a soluble to a particulate fraction that is stable in the presence of Ca2+ chelators, whereas cells stimulated synergistically do not do so to an appreciable extent (Badwey, J. A., Robinson, J. M., Horn, W., Soberman, R. J., Karnovsky, M. J., and Karnovsky, M. L. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 2779-2786). In this paper, we report that neutrophils stimulated synergistically do exhibit a significant incorporation of 32P into the 47-kDa protein, but with little labeling of the 49-kDa species. This labeling of the 47-kDa protein was greater than the sum of those observed with each agent added separately but was less than that observed in cells stimulated with optimal amounts of tumor promoters alone. An inhibitor of protein kinase C (1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine) blocked O2- release and the phosphorylation of the 47-kDa protein under all conditions of stimulation mentioned, whereas an inhibitor of cyclic nucleotide-dependent kinases had no effect on these phenomena. Thus, labeling of the 47-kDa protein can occur in the absence of a "tight" translocation of protein kinase C to membrane and was always observed during synergy. The data support a role for protein kinase C and the 47-kDa phosphoprotein in the synergistic stimulation of neutrophils.