The expression of glycoprotein I (GP I) on normal and pathological megakaryocyte (MK) precursors has been investigated in vivo and in a cell culture system with mouse monoclonal antibody (AN51) using immunofluorescence, immunogold and immunoferritin with electron microscopy. Our results confirmed the observation of Rabellino et al. (1979, 1981), using polyclonal antibodies, that GP I was expressed throughout normal MK maturation. The present result differs from our previous work which failed to detect binding of AN51 on promegakaryoblasts (PMKB). Improvement of immunofluorescent techniques has permitted detection of weak fluorescent labeling on normal PMKB by day 6-7 of in vitro culture from normal CFU-MK. An increased number of labeled PMKB was observed in bone marrow from patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) as compared with normal bone marrow. In 20 selected cases of acute megakaryoblastic leukemia, AN51 labeled the PMKB but at a lower percentage than with J15 (monoclonal anti-glycoprotein IIb/IIIa complex). The MK nature of the blasts was confirmed by the ultrastructural detection of platelet peroxidase (PPO) and by the binding of AN51 demonstrated with immunoferritin-conjugated anti-mouse IgG. The immunogold technique revealed that the density of gold particles on the cell membrane of PMKB was variable, but generally weaker than in platelets or pathological micromegakaryocytes. The specificity of AN51 for MK lineage was shown by the absence of binding of AN51, by all blasts from 60 cases of acute leukemia involving other cell lines. Because of its weak labeling of PMKB due to the small number of antigenic sites, AN51 must be associated with another megakaryocytic marker in the diagnostic assessment of acute megakaryoblastic leukemia.