Mutant epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors in which the five known tyrosine autophosphorylation sites (tyrosines 992, 1068, 1086, 1148, and 1173) were replaced with phenylalanine residues were expressed in NIH-3T3 cells (5F-EGFR) and transmembrane signaling parameters compared with cells expressing wild-type EGF receptor (WT-EGFR). Mutant and wild-type clones were chosen expressing similar numbers of receptors and Scatchard analysis of 125I-EGF binding showed high and low affinity binding of equal affinities for both receptor types. EGF stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins to a much lesser degree in cells expressing 5F-EGFR relative to cells expressing WT-EGFR. Tyrosine phosphorylation of the 5F-EGFR was 2-4% of WT-EGFR. Surprisingly, cells expressing WT-EGFR or 5F-EGFR showed little difference in dose response of EGF-stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation or EGF stimulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase activity. However, EGF did not induce anchorage-independent growth of cells expressing 5F-EGFR to the same extent as it did for cells expressing WT-EGFR. EGF treatment of 5F-EGFR cells failed to elicit an increase in phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity or to stimulate hydrolysis of phosphoinositides or tyrosine phosphorylation of phospholipase C-gamma 1. These data suggest that a significant proportion of EGF receptor signaling can occur through receptors with altered capacity to interact with src homology 2 domain-containing proteins.