We have studied the expression of the 15-lipoxygenase gene in various permanent mammalian cell lines in response to interleukins-4 and -13, and found that none of the cell lines tested expressed 5-, 12- or 15-lipoxygenase when cultured under standard conditions. However, when the lung carcinoma cell line A549 was maintained in the presence of either interleukin for 24 h or more, we observed a major induction of 15-lipoxygenase, as indicated by quantification of 15-lipoxygenase mRNA, by immunohistochemistry, by immunoblot analysis and by enzyme activity assays. This effect was 15-lipoxygenases-specific, since expression of 5- and 12-lipoxygenases remained undetectable. The time course of interleukin-4 treatment indicated maximal accumulation of both 15-lipoxygenase mRNA and functional protein after 48 h. Binding studies revealed that A549 cells express about 2100 high-affinity interleukin-4 binding sites per cell. The interleukin-4 mutant Y124D, which is capable of binding to the interleukin-4 receptor but is unable to trigger receptor activation, counteracted the effect of the wild-type cytokine. Other cell lines, including several epithelial cells and various monocytic cell lines expressing comparable numbers of interleukin-4 receptors, did not express 15-lipoxygenase when stimulated with interleukin-4. These data indicate that A549 cells selectively express 15-lipoxygenase when stimulated with interleukins-4 and -13. The activation of the interleukin-4/13 receptor(s) appears to be mandatory, but not sufficient, for 15-lipoxygenase gene expression.