Employing the approach to isolate the genes expressed preferentially in cytolytic T cell (CTL) but not in other types of cell, 3 CTL-specific cDNAs were recently cloned. To characterize these cDNA clones in relation to CTL activation, their expression pattern after T cell antigen receptor (TCR) or interleukin 2 (IL-2) stimulation were investigated by RNA blot analysis of cloned CTL L3 cells. Transcripts level of two cDNA clones were markedly elevated by TCR stimulation but not by IL-2. In addition, transcripts expression of both clones were abrogated by cyclosporin A treatment. These results indicated that gene activation mediated by TCR is distinct from that mediated by IL-2 and imply that those two unidentified cDNA clones are related to TCR-mediated, IL-2-independent but cyclosporin A-sensitive pathway for CTL activation.