The phosphorylation of the human estrogen receptor (ER) serine residue at position 118 is required for full activity of the ER activation function 1 (AF-1). This Ser(118) is phosphorylated by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in vitro and in cells treated with epidermal growth factor (EGF) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) in vivo. Overexpression of MAPK kinase (MAPKK) or of the guanine nucleotide binding protein Ras, both of which activate MAPK, enhanced estrogen-induced and antiestrogen (tamoxifen);induced transcriptional activity of wild-type ER, but not that of a mutant ER with an alanine in place of Ser(118). Thus, the activity of the amino-terminal AF-1 of the ER is modulated by the phosphorylation of Ser(118) through the Ras-MAPK cascade of the growth factor signaling pathways.