Gq␣ family members (Gq␣, G11␣, G14␣, and G15/16␣) stimulate phospholipase C (PLC) and inositol lipid signaling but differ markedly in amino acid sequence and tissue distribution predicting unappreciated functional diversity. To examine functional differences, we compared the signaling properties of Gq␣, G14␣, and G15␣ and their cellular responses in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Constitutively active forms of Gq␣, G14␣, or G15␣ elicit markedly different responses when introduced to VSMC. Whereas each G␣ stimulated PLC to similar extents when expressed at equal protein levels, Gq␣ and G14␣ but not G15␣ initiated profound cell death within 48 h. This response was the result of activation of apoptotic pathways, because Gq␣ and G14␣, but not G15␣, stimulated caspase-3 activation and did not alter phospho-Akt, a regulator of cell survival pathways. Gq␣ and G14␣ stimulate nuclear factor of activated T cell (NFAT) activation in VSMC, but G␣-induced cell death seems independent of PKC, InsP 3 /Ca 2ϩ , and NFAT, in that pharmacological inhibitors of these pathways did not block cell death. Gene expression analysis indicates that Gq␣, G14␣, and G15␣ each elicit markedly different profiles of altered gene sets in VSMC after 24 h. Whereas all three G␣ stimulated changes (Ն2-fold) in 50 shared mRNA, Gq␣ and G14␣ (but not G15␣) stimulated changes in 221 shared mRNA, many of which are reported to be pro-apoptotic and/or involved with TNF-␣ signaling. We were surprised to find that each G␣ also stimulated changes in nonoverlapping G␣-specific gene sets. These findings demonstrate that Gq␣ family members activate both overlapping and distinct signaling pathways and are more functionally diverse than previously thought.