The 14-3-3 protein family has been implicated in growth factor signaling. We investigated whether 14-3-3 protein is involved in insulin signaling in 3T3L1 adipocytes. A significant amount of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) was immunodetected in the immunoprecipitate with anti-14-3-3beta antibody at the basal condition. 100 nM insulin increased the amount of IRS-1 in the immunoprecipitate 2.5-fold. The effect of insulin was abolished by 100 nM wortmannin. An in vitro binding study revealed that glutathione S-transferase-14-3-3beta fusion protein directly associates with recombinant IRS-1. Pretreatment of recombinant IRS-1 with alkaline phosphatase clearly decreased this association. Because the recombinant IRS-1 was not phosphorylated on its tyrosine residues, the results suggest that serine/threonine phosphorylation of IRS-1 is responsible for the association. When the cells are treated with insulin, phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI3K) is supposed to complex either 14-3-3beta-IRS-1 or IRS-1. The 14-3-3beta-IRS-1-PI3K and IRS-1-PI3K complexes were separately prepared by a sequential immunoprecipitation, first with anti-14-3-3beta and then with anti-IRS-1 antibodies. The specific activity of the PI3K in the former was approximately half of that in the latter, suggesting that 14-3-3beta protein bound to IRS-1 inhibits insulin-stimulated lipid kinase activity of PI3K in 3T3L1 adipocytes.