Effects of various NaCl concentrations on salt-tolerant callus of tobacco were investigated. Selection of NaCl-tolerant (S) callus was conducted by subculturing Nicotiana tabacum cv. BY 4 callus in 200 mM NaCl-containing MS medium for more than 18 months. In spite of the long subculture period, characteristics of salt tolerance were maintained very stably. Significant differences were found in ion contents of each callus which was subcultured with treatment of various NaCl concentrations: Na+ and Cl- became higher but Mg2+, Ca2+ and K+ became lower with the increasing external salt contents. Therefore, the ratios of Na+/Ca2+ and Na+/K+ also increased resulting close to those of halophytic property. The contents of chlorophylls and carotenoids in S callus were estimated to 3.1 and 2.9 times more, respectively. than those of non-selected (NS) callus (control). The higher content of external NaCl tended to increase the amount of water soluble proteins and to decrease the amounts of the total sugars, reducing sugars and free amino acids. The activity of peroxidase was increased with higher contents of external NaCl in S callus, but it was maintained at a higher level than S callus at lower NaCl, followed by a subsequent decrease above 80 mM NaCl in NS callus. These results suggest that S callus may have a biological system converting energy source to efficient growth leading to reduction of the growth inhibition under stress environment.