Differential effect of D-glucose anomers on proinsulin biosynthesis by the pancreatic islets.

Pancreatic islets of Langerhans of the rat were used to study effects of D-glucose anomers on the incorporation of [3H]leucine into proinsulin and other islet proteins. At low (1 mg/ml), but not at high (2 mg/ml) glucose concentration, the alpha-anomer stimulated more proinsulin biosynthesis than the beta-anomer. This observation adds to the growing list of islet functions showing anomeric preference for alpha-D-glucose.