Expression of the phosphotyrosine phosphatase CD45 is essential for B cell Ag receptor (BCR)-mediated p21ras activation and calcium mobilization. To examine the molecular basis of this requirement, we analyzed signaling events following BCR ligation in CD45-deficient (CD45-) and CD45-reconstituted (CD45+) variants of J558Lmicrom3 cells. Ag stimulation resulted in tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins in both cells. However, the spectrum of proteins phosphorylated in the CD45+ cells was qualitatively and/or quantitatively distinct from that in the CD45- cells. Among the protein tyrosine kinases examined, the Src family kinases Fyn and Blk were inducibly tyrosine phosphorylated and activated by receptor ligation only in CD45+ cells. While Ag-induced Btk tyrosine phosphorylation occurred in both cells, its activation was greatly diminished in the CD45- cells. Analysis of specific effector molecules revealed that tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc, but not rasGAP or Vav, correlated with the unique ability of BCR ligation to trigger p21ras activation in CD45+ cells. BCR-mediated Shc phosphorylation and recruitment of Grb2 depended on CD45 expression. Thus, Shc tyrosine phosphorylation may be the primary CD45-dependent mechanism by which Ag receptors are coupled to the p21ras pathway in J558Lmicrom3. In addition, phospholipase Cgamma1 (PLCgamma1) and PLCgamma2 were tyrosine phosphorylated upon Ag stimulation in CD45- cells, despite much reduced inositol trisphosphate production and lack of calcium mobilization. These findings suggest that CD45 may modulate events other than PLCgamma phosphorylation, which regulate phosphoinositide hydrolysis and the calcium mobilization response following BCR ligation.