Employing RNA gel mobility shift assays we detected specific binding events between several dehydrogenases and various regions of the GLUT1 mRNA 3'-untranslated region. In particular, the enzymes glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) bound to the GLUT1 3'-UTR while isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GluDH) did not. Comparison of shifts obtained with purified dehydrogenases to those obtained using authentic cell extracts indicate that G3PDH and G6PDH may play a role in the intact cell. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.