Incubation of 50 mM D-glucose with aspartate aminotransferase (AST, EC 2.6.1.1) preparations (purified pig heart enzyme or a rat liver 20,000 x g supernatant) at 25 degrees C had no effect on enzyme activity. 50 mM D-fructose or D-ribose gradually inhibited pig heart AST under the same conditions to zero activity after 14 days. 50 mM DL-glyceraldehyde decreased enzyme activity to zero after 6 days of incubation. The inhibition of pig heart AST by 50 mM D-fructose or D-ribose was marked even at a temperature of 4 degrees C but it was less pronounced than at 25 degrees C. There was no effect of 0.5 mM 2-oxoglutarate on AST activity during incubation, while the presence of 25 mM L-aspartate decreased it rapidly. 0.5 mM 2-oxoglutarate partly prevented inhibition of AST by D-ribose or D-fructose, while an analogous experiment with 25 mM aspartate resulted in a rapid decline similar to that in the absence of sugars.