Thymocytes display several integrins that are involved in cell-extracellular matrix interactions and differentiation processes. We have examined the role of very late activation Ag (VLA) on human thymocyte stimulation. VLA-4, VLA-5, and VLA-6 activated with either mAbs or their natural ligands (fibronectin, laminin, and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1) are able to transduce costimulatory signals in thymocytes activated via the CD3 pathway, i.e., enhancement of thymocyte proliferation, CD25 and CD69 expression, and IL-2 secretion. In contrast, activation of thymocytes with a mitogenic pair of CD2 mAb was not modified by VLA molecules. Cross-linking of both beta 1- and alpha 5-chains induced tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins, whereas the cross-linking of the alpha 4- and alpha 6-chains did not. Moreover, a different pattern of tyrosine phosphorylation was observed when thymocytes were activated via either beta 1- or alpha 5-chains. These results suggest that VLA molecules activate tyrosine kinase pathways in thymocytes, and that different pathways would be implicated during thymocyte interactions with extracellular matrix or accessory cells, which are likely to play a role in thymocyte differentiation.