In cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells, angiotensin II induced tyrosine phosphorylation of at least 9 proteins with molecular masses of 190, 117, 105, 82, 79, 77, 73, 45 and 40 kDa in time- and dose-dependent manners. Other vasoconstrictors such as [Arg]vasopressin, 5-hydroxytryptamine and norepinephrine induced the tyrosine phosphorylation of the same set of proteins as angiotensin II. The tyrosine phosphorylation of these proteins was mimicked by the protein kinase C-activating phorbol ester, phorbol 12 myristate 13-acetate, and the Ca2+ ionophore, ionomycin. These results demonstrate that the vasoconstrictors stimulate the tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins in vascular smooth muscle cells and suggest that the tyrosine phosphorylation reactions are the events distal to the activation of protein kinase C and Ca2+ mobilization in the intracellular signalling pathways of the vasoconstrictors.