Glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) is a 42-amino acid gastrointestinal regulatory peptide that stimulates insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells in the presence of glucose. Approximately 7.8 x 10(5) recombinant clones of a neonatal rat intestinal cDNA library were screened by using plaque hybridization, and three clones were identified and sequenced with the dideoxynucleotide chain-termination method. The translated amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA indicated that rat GIP was derived by proteolytic processing of a 144-amino acid precursor polypeptide. The mature peptide is flanked by a 43-amino acid NH2-terminal peptide that contains a 21-amino acid signal peptide and by a 59-amino acid COOH-terminal peptide. Analysis of the nucleotide and amino acid sequence of rat GIP revealed only two substitutions from the known human GIP peptide. The use of high-stringency RNA blot-hybridization analysis of total RNA extracted from various organs demonstrated expression of the GIP gene in the duodenum and jejunum and, to a lesser extent, in the ileum. In addition, expression of the GIP gene was observed in the submandibular salivary gland both by RNA analysis and RIA. In response to duodenal perfusion of a 20% Lipomul meal for 60 min, duodenal mucosal GIP mRNA concentrations increased by 42.8% and 48.2% at 30 and 60 min, respectively.