The interaction of 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-D-glucose with the hexose-transport system of the human erythrocyte.

1. By using an optical method the kinetic parameters of hexose transport across the human erythrocyte membrane were determined for several sugars. The series of half-saturated constants is as follows: 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-d-glucose = 3-O-methyl-d-glucose <d-glucose<d-mannose <3-deoxy-d-glucose<d-galactose<l-arabinose. 2. Estimations of the dissociation energy of the 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-d-glucose-carrier and d-glucose-carrier complexes suggest that the binding of the two sugars to the transport system is equivalent. 3. Incubation of the erythrocytes with 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-d-glucose results in a small but significant release of F(-) anion. Cells treated in this way lose their ability to transport glucose.