We have studied the effects of phorbol-dibutyrate (PBu2), a protein kinase C (PKC) activator, on the proliferation of peripheral human T cells and thymocyte subpopulations selected by treatment with monoclonal antibodies and complement: pre-thymocytes (CD1a-CD3-CD4-CD8-), cortical thymocytes (CD3-, class I- antigens) and medullary thymocytes (enriched as CD1a- cells). PBu2 induces a dose-dependent proliferative response in human peripheral blood T cells at concentrations greater than 6 ng/ml, this proliferation being mediated by the autocrine interleukin 2 (IL2)/IL2 receptor (IL2R) pathway. Pre-thymocytes respond to PBu2 in a way similar to T cells, being able to secrete IL2 in significant amounts and express the p55 chain of IL2R. On the other hand, cortical thymocytes are not induced to proliferate after PKC activation and neither expression of the p55 chain of IL2R nor IL2 secretion is observed. Human medullary thymocytes, phenotypically identical to peripheral blood T cells, show no proliferation in response to PBu2 at any concentration tested unless IL2 is supplied to the cultures. The activation of PKC induces the expression of IL2R in these cells, but not IL2 secretion. The implications of PKC activation in thymic maturation, the role of IL2 and the relevance of the differences between medullary thymocytes and peripheral blood T cells are discussed.