Expression of the asialoglycoprotein receptor by the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HuH-7 in response to intracellular cGMP concentrations was previously shown to be regulated at the translational level. In a cell-free system, initiation of asialoglycoprotein receptor mRNA translation was dependent on the presence of the 7-methylguanylate cap site and was independent of 8-bromo-cGMP levels in which the cells were grown prior to RNA isolation. Stable transfection of COS-7 cells with deletion constructs of the asialoglycoprotein receptor H2b subunit localized the cGMP-responsive cisacting element to the mRNA 5 -untranslated region (UTR). Addition of biotin (an activator of guanylate cyclase) induced the expression of -galactosidase present as a chimeric plasmid containing the H2b 187-nucleotide 5 -UTR. An RNA gel retardation assay identified a 37-nucleotide cognate sequence within this 187-nucleotide region. Titration of the 5 -UTR with a cytosolic fraction isolated from HuH-7 grown in the presence or absence of 8-bromo-cGMP or biotin provided direct evidence for an RNA-binding protein responsive to intracellular levels of cGMP. Based on these findings, it seems reasonable to propose that reduction of intracellular levels of cGMP by biotin deprivation results in a negative trans-acting factor associating with the 5 -UTR of asialoglycoprotein receptor mRNAs, thereby inhibiting translation.