Interactions between ganglioside $G_{M3}$ and glucose transporter, GLUT1 were studied by measuring the effect of $G_{M3}$ on steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence of purified GLUT1 in synthetic lipids and on the 3-O-methylglucose uptake by human erythrocytes. The intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence showed a GLUT 1 emission maximum of 335 nm, and increased in the presence of $G_{M3}$ by 12% without shifting the emission maximum, The fluorescence lifetimes of intrinsic tryptophan on GLUT1 consisted of a long component of 7.8 ns and a short component of 2,3 ns and $G_{M3}$ increased both lifetime components. Lifetime components were quenched by acrylamide and KI. Acrylarnide-mduced quenching of long-lifetime components was partly recovered by $G_{M3}$ However. KI-induccd quenching of short- and long-lifetime components was not rescued by $G_{M3}$. The anisotropy of 1.6-diphenyl-1.3.5-hexatriene (DPH)-probed dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) model membrane was also increased with $G_{M3}$ incorporation, The transport rate of 3-O-methylglucose increased by 20% with $G_{M3}$ incorporation on the erythrocytes, Therefore, $G_{M3}$ altered the environment of lipid membrane and induced the conformational change of GLUT1.