The anthracycline uptake and cell surface expression of plasma membrane antigens (HLA class I, c-erbB-2, protectin-CD59, integrin beta 1-chain-CD29, etc.) were compared on a parental anthracycline sensitive and an anthracycline-resistant subline of the human ovarian carcinoma cell line A2780. The anthracycline-resistant (A2780/ADR) subline incubated for 30 min in the presence of daunomycin displayed two subpopulations with different anthracycline cell content as determined by flow cytometry. The subpopulation with lower daunomycin cell content was absent in the parental anthracycline sensitive cell line. The most predominant antigenic changes on the resistant subline as compared with the sensitive one were as follow: Loss of HLA class I and a twofold increase in the expression of CD59 antigen and a slight decrease of integrin beta 1-chain on the cell surface of the resistant subline.