Glutamine is responsible for stimulating glycolysis by L929 cells.

L929 cells synthesize relatively little lactate when using glucose as their primary energy source, and neither glucose oxidation nor lactate production is highly sensitive to stimulation by insulin. Addition of glutamine to the system containing glucose and insulin markedly stimulates lactate production from glucose without inhibiting glucose oxidation. A mechanism in which reducing equivalents derived from glutamine oxidation are used to drive lactate production is discussed.