We have synthesized, cloned, and expressed the coding region for the C-terminal 159 amino acids (aa) of the human active interleukin polypeptide hormone IL-1 alpha. The sequence was assembled in stages and includes preferred Escherichia coli codons and unique restriction sites. The coding region was cloned on a multicopy plasmid vector adjacent to signals for transcription and translation that directed synthesis of 6% of total E. coli protein as IL-1 alpha. Active IL-1 alpha mutants that have a C-terminal additional eleven aa and that have N-terminal deletions of six and fourteen aa are described. Plasmids expressing beta-galactosidase fusion proteins with various parts of IL-1 alpha at their N-termini were constructed.