The mechanisms of activation of cytoplasmic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) are complex and incompletely defined. In Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, receptor stimulation of cPLA2 is due to the interaction of pathways involving the alpha subunits of at least two guanine-nucleotide-binding (G) proteins, G alpha i2 and G alpha q. Activation of cPLA2 is inhibited by pertussis toxin and G alpha i2 mutants. In addition, activation of phospholipase C via G alpha q results in increased intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) and activation of protein kinase C, both of which interact with and activate cPLA2. The present study was undertaken to analyze the mechanism of interaction of G alpha i2 with the phospholipase-C-stimulated pathway in the activation of cPLA2. We addressed this question using a dominant negative G alpha i2 mutant, [G203T]G alpha i2, in which Gly203 is mutated to Thr. [G203T]G alpha i2 inhibits ATP receptor activation of cPLA2. The effect of [G203T]G alpha i2 was specific to G alpha i2-activated pathways, as shown by its lack of effect on other purinergic receptor stimulated pathways: ATP stimulation of [Ca2+]i or mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation is unaltered by [G203T]G alpha i2. We addressed the possibility that the activation of cPLA2 by Ca2+ and/or protein kinase C is dependent on G alpha i2. Activation of cPLA2 by the Ca2+ ionophore, ionomycin, was inhibited by 61 +/- 9% (n = 5) in [G203T]G alpha i2-expressing cells; however the ionomycin-induced [Ca2+]i rise was unaffected by [G203T]G alpha i2. Thus, [G203T]G alpha i2. specifically inhibits Ca2+ activation of cPLA2. In contrast, activation of cPLA2 via protein kinase C by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate was unaffected by [G203T]G alpha i2. Our results demonstrate that Ca2+ but not phorbol ester activation of cPLA2 in CHO cells is G alpha i2-dependent. The possibility is discussed that G alpha i2 is downstream of Ca2+ but upstream of protein kinase C activation of cPLA2.