From a series of rapid quench kinetic experiments, it has been demonstrated that muscle D-fructose bisphosphate aldolase catalyzes the cleavage of beta-D-fructose 1,6-bisphosphate but not that of the alpha anomer, although the alpha anomer may be tightly bound. Yeast D-fructose bisphosphate aldolase appears to utilize both alpha and beta anomers of the substrate, with yeast apoaldolase catalyzing the interconversion of the alpha and beta forms.