Phosphorylation of 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol in mammalian cells.

A cyclic polyol, 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol (AG), is generally present in animals, although little is known about the metabolic and physiological roles of AG in any type of animal cells. The present metabolic study demonstrated phosphorylation of AG in human chronic myelogenous leukemia cells, K-562. Phosphorylated AG (AGP) was also proved to be present in various rat organs; its level in most organs ranged between 2 and 5 nmol/g wet tissue, which amounted to 5 to 10% of the AG levels in the respective organs. In the spleen and brain, however, the AGP levels were especially high, 13.4 and 8.3 nmol/g, respectively, or 24.4 and 20.6% of the respective AG levels. These data suggest that AGP is an intermediary metabolite related to AG in animal cells.