The postreceptor events regulating the signal of insulin downstream in rat intestinal cells have not yet been analyzed. Our objectives were to identify the nature of receptor substrates and phosphorylated proteins involved in the signaling of insulin and to investigate the mechanism(s) by which insulin enhances intestinal hydrolases. In response to insulin, the following proteins were rapidly phosphorylated on tyrosine residues: 1) insulin receptor substrates-1 (IRS-1), -2, and -4; 2) phospholipase C-isoenzyme-; 3) the Ras-GTPase-activating protein (GAP) associated with Rho GAP and p62^Src; 4) the insulin receptor -subunit; 5) the p85 subunits of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase); 6) the Src homology 2 -collagen protein; 7) protein kinase B; 8) mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase-1 and -2; and 9) growth receptor-bound protein-2. Compared with controls, insulin enhanced the intestinal activity of MAP kinase-2 and protein kinase B by two- and fivefold, respectively, but did not enhance p70/S6 ribosomal kinase. Administration of an antireceptor antibody or MAP-kinase inhibitor PD-98059 but not a PI 3-kinase inhibitor (wortmannin) to sucklings inhibited the effects of insulin on mucosal mass and enzyme expression. We conclude that normal rat enterocytes express all of the receptor substrates and mediators involved in different insulin signaling pathways and that receptor binding initiates a signal enhancing brush-border membrane hydrolase, which appears to be regulated by the cascade of MAP kinases but not by PI 3-kinase.