The expression of the tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) mRNA after cycloheximide treatment was analysed by Northern blotting method in Morris rat hepatoma cell lines. The level of TAT mRNA increased after 6-8 h of cycloheximide treatment only in the McA-RH 7777 cell line. McA-RH 7777 nuclear run-off assay showed that TAT transcription was induced by cycloheximide treatment. Both glucocorticoid and cycloheximide modulated TAT gene transcription in a synergistic way. There was no induction of TAT expression following cycloheximide or cycloheximide glucocorticoid simultaneous treatment in another cell line (McA-RH 8994), while c-myc and c-fos expression was superinduced by cycloheximide treatment. The possible mechanism of transcription regulation and its damage in hepatoma cells is discussed.