The mechanism of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK, ERK) stimulation by the GnRH analog [D-Trp6]GnRH (GnRH-a) was investigated in the gonadotroph-derived alphaT3-1 cell line. GnRH-a as well as the protein kinase C (PKC) activator 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) stimulated a sustained response of MAPK activity, whereas epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulated a transient response. MAPK kinase (MEK) is also activated by GnRH-a, but in a transient manner. GnRH-a and TPA apparently activated mainly the MAPK isoform ERK1, as revealed by Mono-Q fast protein liquid chromatography followed by Western blotting as well as by gel kinase assay. GnRH-a and TPA stimulated the tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins, and this effect as well as the stimulation of MAPK activity were inhibited by the PKC inhibitor GF 109203X. Similarly, down-regulation of TPA-sensitive PKC subspecies nearly abolished the effect of GnRH-a and TPA on MAPK activity. Furthermore, the protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) inhibitor genistein inhibited protein tyrosine phosphorylation and reduced GnRH-a-stimulated MAPK activity by 50%, suggesting the participation of genistein-sensitive and insensitive pathways in GnRH-a action. Although Ca2+ ionophores have only a marginal stimulatory effect, the removal of Ca2+ markedly reduced MAPK activation by GnRH-a and TPA, but had no effect on GnRH-a and TPA stimulation of protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Interestingly, the removal of Ca2+ also partly inhibited the activation of MAPK by EGF and vanadate/H2O2. Thus, a calcium-dependent component(s) downstream of PKC and PTK might also participate in MAPK activation. Elevation of cAMP by forskolin exerted partial inhibition on EGF, but not on TPA or GnRH-a action, suggesting that MEK activators other than Raf-1 might be involved in GnRH action. We conclude that Ca2+, PTK, and PKC participate in the activation of MAPK by GnRH-a, with Ca2+ being necessary downstream to PKC and PTK.