The high-proliferative-potential colony-forming cell (HPP-CFC) has been shown to be clearly heterogeneous. Hierarchical subpopulations can be identified by analyzing the kinetics of cell regeneration and the specific cellular requirement for cytokines. In this study, a new type of HPP-CFC, termed high-proliferative potential mixed colony-forming unit-megakaryocyte (HPP-mCFU-MK), was detected in murine bone marrow cell cultures. The HPP-mCFU-MK was able to form macroscopic colonies that fit the criteria of the HPP-CFC colony but contained a number of megakaryocytes. Its growth was stimulated by either aplastic anemia serum (AAS) or a combination of three or more recombinant hematopoietic growth factors but was not inhibited by transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) and platelet factor 4 (PF4) in vitro. The recloning of the 12-day-old HPP-mCFU-MK colonies picked up from AAS-stimulated primary cultures caused secondary formation of HPP-CFC colonies. These data suggest that HPP-mCFC-MK is a new subset of stem cell characterized by its ability to produce directly a number of megakaryocytes in response to multifactor stimulation, to generate a secondary set of HPP-CFC in replating culture, and to be unaffected by TGF-beta 1 and PF4 treatment.