Stimulation of the signal transduction cascade in T cells through the T-cell receptor (CD3) coincides with activation of the phosphatidylinositol-phospholipase C (PI-PLC) pathway. activation of phospholipase C-gamma 1 (PLC gamma 1) occurs through tyrosine phosphorylation in T cells following surface ligation of CD3 receptors with CD3-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAb). Here we show that cross-linking of CD4 molecules with CD3 augments the tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC gamma 1, while co-ligation of CD3 with CD45 (a receptor tyrosine phosphatase) results in reduced PLC gamma 1 tyrosine phosphorylation. Mobilization of intracellular calcium correlated with the extent of PLC gamma 1 tyrosine phosphorylation, indicating that PLC gamma 1 enzymatic activity in T cells may be regulated by its phosphorylation state. The time-course of PLC gamma 1 tyrosine phosphorylation in cells stimulated by soluble anti-CD3 was transient and closely paralleled that of calcium mobilization, while the kinetics in cells stimulated by immobilized anti-CD3 were prolonged. The PI-PLC pathway in T cells was not stimulated by tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC gamma 2, a homologue of PLC gamma 1, demonstrating the strict regulation of PLC gamma isoform usage in CD3-stimulated T cells. A 35,000/36,000 MW tyrosine phosphorylated protein in T cells formed stable complexes with PLC gamma 1, and its tyrosine phosphorylation was co-regulated with that of PLC gamma 1 by CD4 and CD45 receptors. Enzymatic activation and tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC gamma 1 occurs during growth factor stimulation of fibroblasts, where PLC gamma 1 exists in multi-component complexes. The observation that PLC gamma 1 exists in complexes with unique tyrosine phosphorylated proteins in T cells suggests that haematopoietic lineage-specific proteins associated with PLC gamma 1 may play roles in cellular signalling.