To identify potential proteins interacting with the insulin-responsive glucose transporter (GLUT4), we generated fusion proteins of glutathione S-transferase (GST) and the final 30 amino acids from GLUT4 (GST-G4) or GLUT1 (GST-G1). Incubation of these carboxylterminal fusion proteins with adipocyte cell extracts revealed a specific interaction of GLUT4 with fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase. In the presence of aldolase, GST-G4 but not GST-G1 was able to co-pellet with filamentous (F)-actin. This interaction was prevented by incubation with the aldolase substrates, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate or glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. Immunofluorescence confocal microscopy demonstrated a significant co-localization of aldolase and GLUT4 in intact 3T3L1 adipocytes, which decreased following insulin stimulation. Introduction into permeabilized 3T3L1 adipocytes of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate or the metabolic inhibitor 2-deoxyglucose, two agents that disrupt the interaction between aldolase and actin, inhibited insulin-stimulated GLUT4 exocytosis without affecting GLUT4 endocytosis. Furthermore, microinjection of an aldolase-specific antibody also inhibited insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation. These data suggest that aldolase functions as a scaffolding protein for GLUT4 and that glucose metabolism may provide a negative feedback signal for the regulation of glucose transport by insulin.The insulin-responsive glucose transporter GLUT4 is expressed primarily in adipose tissue, skeletal, and cardiac muscle (1-4). Under basal conditions, GLUT4 slowly recycles between poorly defined intracellular compartments and the plasma membrane with the vast majority sequestered in these intracellular storage sites. Insulin stimulates a large increase in the rate of GLUT4 exocytosis concomitant with a smaller decrease in the rate of GLUT4 endocytosis (5-7). The overall insulin-induced changes in GLUT4 trafficking kinetics result in a 10 -20-fold increase in the number of cell surface GLUT4 proteins that accounts for the majority of insulin-stimulated increases in glucose transport activity (8,9).Recently, several laboratories have begun to examine the subcellular distribution of GLUT4 to identify the mechanism responsible for the intracellular sequestration of the GLUT4 protein. Steady-state and kinetic analysis of various expressed GLUT4 chimeric proteins have indicated that both the aminoand carboxyl-terminal domains are important in GLUT4 internalization from the plasma membrane (10 -15). In particular, the carboxyl-terminal dileucine motif (SLL) was found to substantially alter GLUT4 trafficking kinetics and steady-state localization (16,17). Although a specific GLUT4 sequence responsible for intracellular localization has yet to be identified, the presence of a carboxyl-terminal retention signal is consistent with the observation that expression of the GLUT4 carboxyl-terminal domain results in the translocation of the endogenous GLUT4 protein to the plasma membrane (18). In addition, the presence of a GLUT4 carboxyl-terminal binding protein...