Compartmentation between glycolysis and gluconeogenesis in rat liver.

1. The specific radioactivity-time relationships of glucose, glucose 6-phosphate, glycerol 1-phosphate and UDP-glucose were determined in rat liver after the intravenous injection of [U-(14)C]fructose, and a kinetic analysis was carried out. The glucose 6-phosphate pool was found to be compartmented into gluconeogenic and glycolytic components, and evidence was obtained that the triose phosphates were similarly compartmented. The glycolytic pathway was fed by glycogenolysis and glucose phosphorylation. There was no direct evidence that glycogenolysis fed only the glycolytic pathway, but this interpretation would make the liver resemble other organs in this respect. 2. UDP-glucose was not formed solely from gluconeogenic glucose 6-phosphate, as there was some dilution of label in the intervening glucose 1-phosphate pool, probably from glycogenolysis, though other pathways cannot be excluded. 3. The data cannot be explained by isotopic exchange.