Signalling by the insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins is critically dependent on the tyrosine phosphorylation of specific binding sites that recruit Src homology 2 (SH2)-domain-containing proteins, such as the p85 subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase), the tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2 and the adapter protein Grb2. Here we show that stimulation by insulin of freshly isolated primary adipocytes resulted in the expected rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor, IRS-1 and IRS-3. Inhibition of PI 3-kinase enhanced the insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of IRS-1 on (i) Tyr⁶¹² and Tyr⁹⁴¹ (p85 binding sites), concomitant with an increased association of the p85 subunit of PI 3-kinase; (ii) Tyr⁸⁹⁶ (a Grb2 binding site); and (iii) Tyr¹²²⁹ (an SHP-2 binding site), although little or no binding of SHP-2 to IRS-1 was detectable under any conditions. In contrast, inhibition of PI 3-kinase led to a decrease in insulin-stimulated p85 binding to IRS-3, but had no effect on SHP-2 binding. Furthermore, insulin-induced insulin receptor tyrosine phosphorylation, phosphorylation of Tyr¹¹⁵⁸ and insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity were all reduced by inhibition of PI 3-kinase at later time points (20min). The results demonstrate that, in primary adipocytes, PI 3-kinase feedback control of signalling by the insulin receptor and IRS proteins is multifaceted and reciprocal, illustrating the complexity of predicting the net flux of the insulin signal(s) through the IRS proteins.