A human oxidoreductase (H-37) that is overexpressed in ethacrynic acid-resistant HT29 colon cells (Ciaccio, P. J., Stuart, J.E., and Tew, K.D. (1993) Mol. Pharmacol. 43, 845-853) has been identified as a dihydrodiol dehydrogenase. Translated protein from a dihydrodiol dehydrogenase cDNA isolated from a library prepared from ethacrynic acid-resistant HT29 cell poly(A+) RNA was recognized by anti-H-37 IgG and was identical in molecular weight with H-37. The isolated cDNA was identical in both nucleotide and amino acid sequences with the recently cloned liver dihydrodiol dehydrogenase (Stolz, A., Hammond, L., Lou, H., Takikawa, H., Ronk, M., and Shively, J.E. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 10448-10457). Using this cDNA as probe, we have examined its induction by Michael acceptors. The steady state dihydrodiol dehydrogenase mRNA level in the ethacrynic acid-resistant line was increased 30-fold relative to that of wild-type cells. Twenty-four hour treatment of wild-type cells with ethacrynic acid or dimethyl maleate increased mRNA 10-fold and 5-fold, respectively. These changes are accompanied by both increased protein expression and increased NADP-dependent 1-acenaphthenol oxidative activity in cell cytosol. In gel shift assays, compared to wild type controls, increased binding of NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase human antioxidant response element (hARE) DNA to redox labile protein complexes present in treated and resistant cell nuclear extract was observed. Ethacrynic acid induced CAT activity 2-fold in Hepa1 cells stably transfected with NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase hARE-tk-CAT chimeric gene construct. Thus, dihydrodiol dehydrogenase protein is inducible by de novo synthesis from mRNA by structurally related monofunctional inducer Michael acceptors. Altered in vitro binding of nuclear protein to the hARE is indirect evidence for the involvement of an element similar to hARE in the regulation of dihydrodiol dehydrogenase by these agents.