1. Stimulation of P2Y-purinoceptors on turkey erythrocytes and many other cell types results in activation of phospholipase C. In contrast, we have observed recently that P2Y-purinoceptors on C6 rat glioma cells are not coupled to phospholipase C, but rather, inhibit adenylyl cyclase. 2. In this study we investigated the pharmacological selectivity of the P2-purinoceptor antagonists, suramin, reactive blue 2, and pyridoxal phosphate 6-azophenyl 2',4'-disulphonic acid (PPADS) for phospholipase C- and adenylyl cyclase-coupled P2Y-purinoceptors. 3. In C6 glioma cells, suramin and reactive blue 2 competitively antagonized the inhibitory effect of 2MeSATP on adenylyl cyclase (pKB = 5.4 +/- 0.2 and 7.6 +/- 0.1, respectively), whereas PPADS at concentrations up to 100 microM had no effect. 4. In contrast, in the turkey erythrocyte preparation, PPADS at concentrations up to 30 microM was a competitive antagonist of P2Y-purinoceptor-stimulated phospholipase C activity (pKB = 5.9 +/- 0.1). Suramin and reactive blue 2 produced both a shift to the right of the concentration-effect of 2MeSATP for the activation of phospholipase C and a significant decrease in the maximal inositol phosphate response. 5. Turkey erythrocytes also express a phospholipase C-coupled beta-adrenoceptor. Concentrations of PPADS that competitively inhibited the P2Y-purinoceptor-mediated response had only minimal effects on the activation of phospholipase C by beta-adrenoceptors. In contrast, suramin and reactive blue 2 produced a non-competitive inhibition, characterized by decreases in the maximal response to isoprenaline with no change in the potency of this beta-adrenoceptor agonist. 6. The differential effect of PPADS on P2Y-purinoceptors of C6 glioma cells and turkey erythrocytes adds further support to the idea that different P2Y-purinoceptor subtypes mediate coupling to adenylylcyclic and phospholipase C.