['Mast cells produce a variety of cytokines and chemokines in a timely and tightly controlled fashion if stimulated via the FcepsilonRI. Evidence is accumulating that the transcriptional induction of the corresponding genes and the release of these mediators are dependent on common and mediator-specific components of the signal transduction and transcription factor machinery.', 'We addressed this issue by comparing the effects of mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway inhibitors and protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors on the induction of TNF-alpha and IL-5 after IgE plus antigen (Ag) stimulation in CPII mouse mast cells using Western blot analyses and transient transfections of reporter gene plasmids.', 'TNF-alpha shows a strict dependence on the MAP kinase pathway, while IL-5 is either activated by PMA-dependent PKCs or along the MAP kinase pathway. In addition, both mediators are sensitive to PKCmu inhibition, suggesting involvement of this atypical, non-PMA dependent PKC in the overall induction process.'] Do tNF-alpha and IL-5 gene induction in IgE plus antigen-stimulated mast cells require common and distinct signaling pathways?