Upon binding to its G protein-coupled transmembrane receptors, the actions of PGF2alpha on the corpus luteum are initiated by the phospholipase C/diacylglycerol-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3)/Ca2+-protein kinase C (PKC) pathway. However, little is known about the downstream intracellular signaling events that can lead to transcriptional activation in response to PGF2alpha. The present study was conducted to examine the involvement of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade in the corpus luteum. Three isoforms of the Raf family of oncoprotein kinases (A-Raf, B-Raf, and Raf-1 or c-Raf) were detected in bovine luteal cells. Raf-1 and B-Raf, but not A-Raf, were activated by PGF2alpha (1 microM) and the pharmacological PKC activator phorbol myristate acetate (PMA, 20 nM). Kinetic analysis revealed that PGF2alpha rapidly and transiently activated Raf-1. In vitro protein kinase assays demonstrated that activation of Raf-1 and B-Raf resulted in the phosphorylation and activation of MAPK kinase (MEK1), which subsequently phosphorylated p42mapk. As determined by hyperphosphorylation, tyrosine phosphorylation, and enzymatic activity, p42mapk and p44mapk were rapidly and transiently activated by both PGF2alpha (1 microM) and PMA (20 nM). Additionally, both PGF2alpha (1 microM) and PMA (20 nM) stimulated phosphorylation of Raf-1, MEK1, and p42mapk in 32P-labeled cells. Our data demonstrate that PGF2alpha activates the Raf/MEK1/p42/44mapk signaling cascade in bovine luteal cells and that the actions of PGF2alpha are mimicked by the PKC activator PMA. Activation of the Raf/MEK1/MAPK signaling cascade by PGF2alpha in luteal cells provides a mechanism to transduce signals initiated by PGF2alpha receptors on the cell surface into the nucleus. Activation of the Raf/MEK1/MAPK signaling cascade may be associated with transcriptional activation of luteal genes possessing activator protein-1-binding sites.