In the present study, we investigated the involvement of Ca2+-signaling and protein kinases in the effect of Ca2+-ATPase inhibitors on the activation of cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)) in human polymorphonuclear neutrophils. We found that activity and mobility on electrophoresis gels of the cPLA(2) protein were significantly increased by f-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP), 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and the Ca2+-ATPase inhibitors, thapsigargin and cyclopiazonic acid. This effect was completely suppressed by staurosporine. Calphostin C partially inhibited the fMLP- and PMA-induced cPLA(2) activation, but had no influence on thapsigargin- and cyclopiazonic acid-treated cells. Thapsigargin and cyclopiazonic acid also showed no effect on protein kinase C activity. However, the thapsigargin- and cyclopiazonic acid-induced cPLA(2) activation was completely inhibited by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, erbstatin, and Ca2+ chelator, EGTA. In addition, the cPLA(2) activity was reduced after pretreatment with the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor PD98059. The arachidonic acid release was significantly reduced in cells pretreated with the cPLA(2) inhibitor, AACOCF(3). Furthermore, we found that the human neutrophil cPLA(2) cDNA contain a Ca2+-dependent-lipid binding domain which shares homology to several other enzymes such as protein kinase C and phospholipase C. Our results suggest that tyrosine kinases and the MAP kinase cascade are involved in Ca2+-ATPase inhibitor-induced activation and phosphorylation of cPLA(2). Protein kinase C is not required in this event. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.