In previous studies examining the potential role of pp60c-src in cellular proliferation, we demonstrated that C3H10T1/2 murine embryo fibroblasts overexpressing transfected chicken genomic c-src displayed an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced mitogenic response which was 200 to 500% of the response exhibited by parental control cells (Luttrell et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 8:497-501, 1988). In order to examine specific structural and functional requirements for pp60c-src in this event, 10T1/2 cells were transfected with chicken c-src genes encoding pp60c-src deficient in tyrosine kinase activity (pm430), myristylation, (pm2A), or a domain hypothesized to modulate the interaction with substrates or regulatory components (dl155). Neomycin-resistant clonal cell lines overexpressing each of the mutated c-src genes were assayed for EGF mitogenic responsiveness by measuring [3H]thymidine incorporation into acid-precipitable material or into labeled nuclei. The results were compared with those obtained with lines overexpressing the cDNA form of wild-type (wt) c-src or control cells transfected with the neomycin resistance gene only. As previously described for cells overexpressing wt genomic c-src (Luttrell et al., 1988), clones overexpressing wt cDNA c-src also exhibited enhanced EGF mitogenic responses ranging from approximately 300 to 400% of the control cell response. In contrast, clones overexpressing unmyristylated, modulation-defective, or kinase-deficient c-src not only failed to support an augmented response to EGF but also exhibited EGF responses lower than that of the control cells. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in the mitogenic responses to 10% fetal calf serum among any of the cells tested. These results indicate that pp60(c-scr) can potentiate mitogenic signaling generated by EGF but not all growth factors. This potentiation requires the utilization of pp60(c-scr) myristylation, and modulatory and tyrosine kinase domains and can me mediated by cDNA-encoded as well as by genome-encoded wt pp60(c-scr).