Although it has long been considered that there may be specific proteins mediating the primary action of plant hormones, activity in this area has been relatively unproductive. Recently preliminary reports have indicated that, in the presence of certain protein fractions, auxins (Matthyse & Phillips, 1969) and cytokinins (Matthyse & Abrams, 1970) can stimulate RNA synthesis directed by isolated pea chromatin or DNA. Similarly it appears that both gibberellic acid (Johri & Varner, 1968) and abscisic acid (Pearson & Wareing, 1969) effects on RNA synthesis in vitro may require the presence of factors that are rapidly lost from nuclei or chromatin during the isolation procedures. An attempt has been made to obtain possible protein mediators of this kind by the affinity-chromatography principle, by using an agarose column to which a derivative of the synthetic auxin 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid is attached by the method of Cuatrecasas et al. (1968). Such a column retains small amounts of protein from crude extracts of pea or maize shoots. Elution with 2mM-KOH gives a protein factor that enhances DNA-dependent RNA synthesis (supported by Escherichia coli polymerase) by 50-300 % in different preparations. Activity is not due to inhibition of adenosine triphosphatase or ribonuclease action, nor is it an endonuclease effect. Time-course experiments involving rifampicin suggest the factor acts, partially at least, on RNA chain initiation.