The mechanism of isoproterenol and N6,O2'-dibutyryl adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (dibutyryl cAMP) induction of lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27) was investigated in the C6 rat glioma cell line. [3H]Leucine-labeled lactate dehydrogenase in noninduced and induced cells was quantitatively immunoprecipitated with rabbit anti-rat lactate dehydrogenase-5 antiserum. The immunoprecipitates were analyzed for 3H-labeled lactate dehydrogenase by electrophoresis on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels and isoelectrofocusing. Using this technique, it was shown that isoproterenol + 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine and dibutyryl cAMP cause an increase of the [3H]leucine incorporation into glioma cell lactate dehydrogenase. Analysis of the kinetics of induction and deinduction revealed no change in the rate of degradation of lactate dehydrogenase in the presence and absence of inducing agent, indicating that the induction was due to an increase in the rate of synthesis of the enzyme. The increased rate of synthesis was prevented by actinomycin D. Isoproterenol + 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine increased only the specific rate of synthesis of lactate dehydrogenase-5 isozyme and of the M subunit. The mechanism was further studied by assaying the level of functional mRNA coding for lactate dehydrogenase in a reticulocyte cell-free protein-synthesizing system using glioma cell poly(A)-containing RNA isolated from either isoproterenol or dibutyryl cAMP-induced cells. Analysis of the immunoprecipitated translation product by isoelectrofocusing revealed that isoproterenol or dibutyryl cAMP produced an approximately 8-fold stimulation of the poly(A) + RNA-directed synthesis of the lactate dehydrogenase M subunit. These data demonstrate that isoproterenol and dibutyryl cAMP control the level of functionally active lactate dehydrogenase mRNA in glioma cells which, in turn, determines the extent of synthesis of the lactate dehydrogenase M subunit.