Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase [GAPDH; D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate:NAD+ oxidoreductase (phosphorylating), EC 1.2.1.12] mRNA levels are induced by physiologic concentrations of insulin in cultured 3T3-F442A adipocyte and H35 hepatoma cell lines. To examine the mechanism by which insulin regulates GAPDH mRNA levels in these two insulin-sensitive tissues, we have isolated a functional human GAPDH gene. When stably transfected and expressed in 3T3-F442A preadipocytes and H35 hepatoma cells, the intact human GAPDH gene is induced 10-fold by insulin in 3T3-F442A adipocytes and 3-fold by insulin in H35 hepatoma lines, which is similar to the induction obtained with the endogenous gene. A human GAPDH-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase construct, containing sequences -487 to +20 of the human gene fused to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene, is regulated by insulin in stably transfected 3T3 adipocytes and stably or transiently transfected H35 hepatoma cell lines, whereas the Rous sarcoma virus-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase fusion protein is not. Thus, the inductive effect of insulin on human GAPDH gene expression is mediated through cis-acting sequences located between -487 and +20 of the human GAPDH gene.