Lactogens [prolactin (Prl) and growth hormone] stimulate phosphorylation of the 40S ribosomal protein, S6, in Nb2 cells by mechanisms that do not involve participation of cAMP or protein kinase A, protein kinase C, or cGMP-dependent protein kinase. However, inhibition of tyrosine kinase (TK) abrogates Prl-mediated macromolecular biosynthesis. Inasmuch as lactogen signaling may involve sequential activation of protein kinases, the effect of Prl on the well-characterized mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and S6 kinase (S6K), the enzyme responsible for S6 phosphorylation in vivo, and their relationship to Nb2 macromolecular biosynthesis and mitogenesis were investigated. The results show that MAPK stimulation is transient (peak activity, 30 min) and precedes that of S6K, which reaches a maximum at 1.5-2 h, and slowly returns towards control levels at 6 h. Both staurosporine which inhibits GH receptor-associated kinase (JAK2) and genistein (GEN), an inhibitor of membrane-associated and cytoplasmic TKs, abrogate Prl-stimulated TK, MAPK, and S6K. Rapamycin (RAP), a specific inhibitor of p70S6K, completely blocks S6K but does not affect TK and MAPK. TK and MAPK activity correlates with Prl-stimulated anabolism, i.e., protein and DNA synthesis and mitogenesis. Thus, concentrations of STR and GEN which abrogate TK and MAPK inhibit anabolism virtually 100%. However, RAP, which inhibits S6K (ca. 100%) but not TK or MAPK, only delays Prl-mediated anabolism. These results indicate that Prl signaling in Nb2 cells involves a protein kinase cascade and that regulation of receptor-associated kinase, TK, and MAPK correlates with anabolism. The role of S6K (and S6 phosphorylation) appears to be ancillary.