Okadaic acid (OA) is a novel, non-phorbol ester-type tumor promoter, which is a specific inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A. Treatment of human fibrosarcoma HT-1080 cells with OA resulted in induction of collagenase and stromelysin-1 mRNA levels, while mRNA levels for tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 were enhanced to a lesser extent. Induction of collagenase and stromelysin-1 mRNA levels was dependent on protein synthesis. Exposure of HT-1080 cells to OA resulted in marked and persistent induction of junB, junD, and c-fos mRNA levels up to 24 h, while c-jun mRNA levels were only slightly elevated. In transiently transfected HT-1080 cells, OA-elicited activation of a 3.8-kilobase collagenase promoter/reporter gene construct was entirely dependent on junB expression, as determined by cotransfection with a junB antisense expression construct. Overexpression of JunB in HT-1080 cells enhanced collagenase promoter activity by 10-fold, and OA augmented trans-activation of collagenase promoter by c-Jun and JunB. The results indicate that induction of collagenase gene expression by OA is mediated by enhanced JunB expression, as well as enhanced trans-activating capacity of AP-1 complexes containing c-Jun and JunB. These results also suggest that selective overexpression of junB may enhance invasive and metastatic potential of neoplastic cells.