Phospholipase D (PLD) activation by vasopressin (VP) was compared to activation by TPA in REF52 cells prelabeled with [3H]glycerol and [14C]myristic acid. Upon VP-treatment, the formation of [3H] and [14C]phosphatidic acid (PA) and phosphatidylethanol (PEt) was accompanied by the loss of radioactivity from PC and PI. However, upon TPA-treatment, radioactivity was lost from PC only. No significant changes of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine were detected in the same samples. The inclusion of 5 microM staurosporine for 10 min diminished the production of [3H]PEt and [14C]PEt by 27% and 53% in VP-treated cells, and by 100% and 75% in TPA-treated cells, respectively. Adding 1 mM EGTA to chelate extracellular Ca2+ inhibited [3H]PEt by approximately 31% and [14C]PEt by 17% after VP-stimulation. In contrast, EGTA had no effect on TPA-stimulation. The data suggest that REF52 cells contain dual PLD activities. The first is stimulated only by VP, requires Ca2+ and hydrolyzes PI. The second is stimulated by both TPA and VP, activated by protein kinase C and hydrolyzes PC.