Many biologically important factors are composed of multiple subunits. To study the structure and function of the protein complexes and the role of each subunit, a rapid and efficient method to prepare recombinant protein complexes is needed. In this work, we established an in vitro reconstitution system of eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF) 3, a protein complex consisting of 11 distinct subunits. A HeLa cell-derived in vitro coupled transcription/translation system was programmed with multiple plasmids encoding the 11 eIF3 subunits in total. After incubation for several hours, the eIF3 complex was purified through tag-dependent affinity chromatography. When eIF3l, one of the nonessential subunits of eIF3, was not expressed, the eIF3 complex that was devoid of eIF3l was still obtained. Both the 11 subunits complex and the eIF3l-less complex were as active as native eIF3 as observed by a reconstituted translation initiation assay system. In conclusion, the cell-free co-expression system should be a feasible and rapid system to reconstitute protein complexes. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.