Ligation of the antigen receptor on B cells induces the rapid phosphorylation of tyrosine on a number of cellular proteins. A monoclonal antibody that recognized a tyrosine-phosphorylated cell surface protein that was present in activated B cells was generated. Amino acid sequence analysis showed that this 140-kilodalton protein was CD22, a B cell-specific cell surface glycoprotein and putative extracellular ligand of the protein tyrosine phosphatase CD45. Tyrosine phosphorylation of CD22 may be important in B cell signal transduction, possibly through regulation of the adhesiveness of activated B cells.