The mechanism of activation of phospholipase D2 (PLD2) remains undefined although mechanisms have been described for the activation of PLDI. By expression of mutated forms of haemaglutinnin-tagged PLD2 in a mast cell (RBL-2H3) line, we show that PLD2 is phosphorylated at tyrosines -11, -14, and -470 and that tyrosine-470 is critical for activation of PLD2 by antigen. Studies were performed with mutated-DNA constructs for haemaglutinnin-tagged PLD2 in which codons for tyrosine -11, -14, -165, and -470 were mutated to phenylalanine either individually or collectively. Transient expression of these constructs showed that mutation of tyrosine -11, -14, -470, or all tyrosines (all-mutated PLD2) suppressed antigen-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of PLD2 but only the tyrosine-470 mutant failed to be activated by antigen as assessed by in vitro assay of immunoprepitated PLD2 or by assay of PLD in intact cells. The critical role of tyrosine-470 was confirmed in studies with add-back mutants (phenylalanine back to tyrosine) of the all-mutated PLD. The findings provide the first description of a mechanism of activation of PLD2 in a physiological setting.