Isolated adipocytes, incubated in the presence of extracellular 32Pi to steady state 32P incorporation into cellular phosphopeptides, were exposed to hormones for 5 min. Epinephrine (10(-6) M) stimulated 32P incorporation into at least 12 major phosphopeptides, distributed in the cytoplasm, endoplasmic reticulum, and plasma membrane. Quantitatively pre-eminent among these were peptides of molecular weight 123,000 and 69,000, each located both in the cytoplasm and endoplasmic reticulum. The effect of epinephrine (10(-7) M) on 32P incorporation into these two peptides was augmented by theophylline (10(-3) M) in a synergistic fashion. Norepinephrine, dibutyryl N6,O2'-dibutyryl adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) (synthetic 1 to 24 fragment), and glucagon mimicked the effect of epinephrine. Insulin modified adipocyte peptide phosphorylation in two ways. When present as the sole hormone, insulin (100 microunits/ml) consistently and selectively stimulated the 32P incorporation into a peptide of molecular weight 123,000 (endoplasmic reticulum, cytoplasm) without significant alteration in the 32P content of any other major peptide. A second effect of insulin was evident when epinephrine (10(-6) M) was present simultaneously. Insulin significantly inhibited the epinephrine-stimulated phosphorylation of the molecular weight 69,000 (endoplasmic reticulum, cytoplasm) and 26,000 (plasma membrane) peptides. Nevertheless, persistence of insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of the 123,000 peptide in the presence of epinephrine was shown by a 32P content of this peptide that was greater in the presence of both hormones than with either individually. These findings indicate that in intact adipocytes: (a) epinephrine acutely alters the phosphorylation of a large number of adipocyte peptides, partly at least, via activation of adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP)-dependent protein kinase; (b) insulin opposes several epinephrine-stimulated phosphorylations in a manner consitent with its ability to lower epinephrine-stimulated intracellular cyclic AMP accumulation in adipocytes; and (c) insulin, in addition, exerts a unique stimulatory effect on adipocyte peptide phosphorylation that is independent of its effects on cyclic AMP metabolism and may be medicated by the generation of an as yet undefined intracellular "messenger" unique to insulin.