The present study was undertaken to evaluate in vitro the relative importance of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) in the mitogenic and chemotactic potential of bovine fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB for smooth muscle cells (SMC). Aortic SMC were isolated from transgenic mice showing single inactivations of the t-PA, u-PA, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, or urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (u-PAR) genes. With regard to serum-induced proliferation, all cell types showed similar responses. However, SMC isolated from t-PA-deficient mice did not proliferate or migrate in response to PDGF, whereas SMC isolated from u-PA-deficient animals appeared to be much less sensitive to bFGF than the cells isolated from the other animals. Supplementation of cells from deficient animals with exogenous murine t-PA or u-PA restored the normal response of the growth factors with regard to both migration and proliferation. The mitogenic and chemotactic responses of bFGF were specifically inhibited in u-PAR-deficient cells or in wild-type SMC, cultured in the presence of antibodies to u-PAR. The role of u-PA and t-PA in bFGF and PDGF-induced growth and migration of SMC was not dependent on plasmin generation and activity as demonstrated by the inactivity of epsilon-aminocaproic acid and aprotinin. A 4-5-fold increase in the steady-state levels of u-PA and t-PA mRNA and proteins were observed after 24 h of incubation of the cell cultures with bFGF and PDGF-BB, respectively. These results therefore indicate that, at least in vitro, t-PA is an important element of the activity of PDGF-BB with regard to the proliferation and migration of SMC whereas u-PA is a key factor in the effect of bFGF on SMC.