In neutrophils, receptor-mediated activation of the respiratory burst requires ATP, possibly for phosphotransferase reactions. The oxidative response is only partially inhibited by blockers of protein kinase C, suggesting the involvement of other kinases. Recent evidence has demonstrated activation of tyrosine phosphorylation in chemoattractant-stimulated cells. This effect is likely mediated by G proteins because it is obliterated by pretreatment with pertussis toxin. In this report we have attempted to correlate the respiratory burst and phosphotyrosine accumulation induced by activation of G proteins, accomplished by treatment of electroporated cells with nonhydrolyzable analogues of GTP. In cells stimulated with guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S) both responses displayed similar time course and concentration dependence. The guanine nucleotide selectivity sequence and the divalent cation requirements were also similar for both responses. These similarities suggest a relationship between tyrosine phosphorylation and the activation of the NADPH oxidase. GTP gamma S-induced phosphotyrosine accumulation was found to be inhibited by pretreatment of the cells with phorbol esters, underlining the existence of regulatory interactions between different signal transduction pathways in neutrophils.