v-Rel is a transforming protein of the reticuloendotheliosis virus, and is a transcription factor regulating various cellular genes. We found that v-Rel activates the promoter of the proto-oncogene c-jun in a transient transfection assay system. Moreover, the expression of endogenous c-jun was augmented in cells expressing exogenous v-Rel, but not c-Rel. The transcriptional activities of v-Rel to the tested promoters containing the kB-site are lower than that of c-Rel, but that to the c-jun promoter was much higher than that of c-Rel. The N-terminal DNA binding domain of v-Rel, which is responsible for its high transforming activity of v-Rel was also responsible for the high transcriptional activity to the c-jun promoter. Thus, the activity of v-Rel upon the c-jun promoter correlates well with its transforming ability. Since c-Jun plays pivotal roles on cell proliferation in various types of cells, the activation of c-jun expression by v-Rel may be an essential step for the oncogenic transformation caused by v-Rel.