Airway smooth muscle hypertrophy contributes to the narrowing of asthmatic airways. Activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases is an important event in mediating cell proliferation. Because the monomeric G protein p21(ras) is an important intermediate leading to activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, we questioned which heterotrimeric G protein-coupled receptors were linked to the activation of p21(ras) in cultured human airway smooth muscle and which of the heterotrimeric G protein subunits (alpha or betagamma) transmitted the activation signal. Carbachol and endothelin-1 increased GTP-bound p21(ras) in a pertussis toxin-sensitive manner [ratio of [32P]GTP to ([32P]GTP + [32P]GDP): control, 30 +/- 1.7; 3 min of 1 microM carbachol, 39 +/- 1.1; 3 min of 1 microM endothelin-1, 40 +/- 1.2], whereas histamine, bradykinin, and KCl were without effect. Transfection of an inhibitor of the G protein betagamma-subunit [the carboxy terminus (Gly495-Leu689) of the beta-adrenoceptor kinase 1] failed to inhibit the carbachol-induced activation of p21(ras). These data suggest that Gi- but not Gq-coupled receptors activate p21(ras) in human airway smooth muscle cells, and this effect most likely involves the alpha-subunit.