We have previously reported that serum amyloid A (SAA) induces adhesion and chemotaxis of human monocytes and polymorphonuclear neutrophils, in vitro as well as in vivo. Since the mechanism of SAA signaling is unknown, we have investigated the possibility that SAA, like other chemoattractants such as the chemotactic peptide FMLP and chemokines, might induce migration of monocytes by G protein activation. We report here that preincubation of monocytes with pertussis toxin (PTx) inhibited SAA chemotaxis, while incubation with cholera toxin (CTx) did not. Staurosporine and H-7, both inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC), significantly decreased rSAA-induced chemotaxis of monocytes, suggesting that PKC may be involved in the rSAA signaling pathway. Moreover, rSAA, at concentrations that were effective in chemoattracting monocytes, resulted in transient elevation of cytoplasmic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), and incubation of cells with PTx markedly inhibited the mobilization of Ca2+ in response to rSAA. This suggests that both chemotaxis and the rise in [Ca2+]i, are mediated by G proteins of the Gi class. The increase in [Ca2+]i, induced in monocytes by rSAA, was comparable to that elicited by FMLP, and was severalfold greater than that induced by optimal concentrations of chemokine beta-family members such as RANTES, MCAF/MCP-1, and MIP-1 alpha. The chemoattractants FMLP, RANTES, MIP-1 alpha, and MCAF/MCP-1, all failed to desensitize rSAA-induced Ca2+ influx and chemotaxis in monocytes. This suggests that SAA uses a distinct receptor that is coupled to PTx-sensitive G proteins.