Ras proteins are proto-oncogene products that are critical components of signalling pathways leading from cell surface receptors to control of cellular proliferation, morphology and differentiation. The ability of Ras to activate the MAP kinase pathway through interaction with the serine/threonine kinase Raf is now well established. However, recent work has shown that Ras can also interact directly with the catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3' kinase and is involved in control of the lipid kinase in intact cells. A model is presented in which both tyrosine phosphoprotein interaction with the regulatory p85 subunit and Ras.GTP interaction with the catalytic pi 10 subunit is required to achieve optimal activation of phosphatidylinositol 3 ' kinase in response to extracellular stimuli. The ability of Ras to regulate phosphatidylinositol 3' kinase may be important both in Ras control of cellular morphology through the actin cytoskeleton and also in Ras control of DNA synthesis.