Acylation stimulating protein (ASP; C3adesArg) stimulates triglyceride synthesis (TGS) and glucose transport in preadipocytes/adipocytes through C5L2, a G-proteincoupled receptor. Here, ASP signaling is compared with insulin in 3T3-L1 cells. ASP stimulation is not Ga s or Ga i mediated (pertussis and cholera toxin insensitive), suggesting G aq as a candidate. Phospholipase C (PLC) is required, because the Ca 21 chelator 1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy) ethane-N,N,N9,N9-tetraacetic acid tetra(acetoxymethyl) ester and the PLC inhibitor U73122 decreased ASP stimulation of TGS by 93.1% (P , 0.0.001) and 86.1% (P , 0.004), respectively. Wortmannin and LY294002 blocked ASP effect by 69% (P , 0.001) and 116.1% (P , 0.003), respectively, supporting phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) involvement. ASP induced rapid, transient Akt phosphorylation (maximal, 5 min; basal, 45 min), which was blocked by Akt inhibition, resembling treatment by insulin. Downstream of PI3K, mamalian target of rapaycin (mTOR) is required for insulin but not ASP action. By contrast, both ASP and insulin activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signalregulated kinase (MAPK/ERK 1/2 ) pathway, with rapid, pronounced increases in ERK 1/2 phosphorylation, effects partially blocked by PD98059 (64.7% and 65.9% inhibition, respectively; P , 0.001). Time-dependent (maximal, 30 min) transient calcium-dependent phospholipase A 2 (cPLA 2 ) -Ser505