To gain insight into the gene regulation and signal transduction effects of active oxygen in tumour promotion and progression, we studied the effect of active oxygen generated extracellularly by xanthine/xanthine oxidase (X/XO) in promotion-insensitive (P-), promotion-sensitive (P+) and transformed (Tx) mouse epidermal JB6 cells. Active oxygen inhibited growth, particularly of P- cells and increased poly ADPR transferase activity and PKC activity more significantly in P- cells. No phenotypic differences in the distribution pattern of PKC isotypes alpha, beta and gamma were seen in JB6 cells. PKC alpha was expressed abundantly, whereas beta and gamma were not detected. Basal levels of the antioxidant enzymes catalase and CuZn. Superoxide dismutase were higher in P+ and Tx cells. X/XO resulted in an initial decrease in the activity of these enzymes, followed by recovery or transient induction in Tx and P+ cells. X/XO induced c-myc and c-fos expression in JB6 cells, with c-fos induction being more pronounced in P- cells, whereas a biphasic increase in c-jun was seen in P+ cells. These early genes may play a role in proliferation whereas post-translational poly ADP-ribosylation and, perhaps, phosphorylation suggest a genetic-epigenetic mechanism in oxidant tumour promotion and progression.