Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a hormone derived from the preproglucagon molecule that is secreted by intestinal L cells and stimulates insulin secretion from beta cells. The GLP-1 receptor is a candidate gene for diabetes mellitus, as mutations may induce the impaired insulin response that is a characteristic feature of NIDDM. To study the relationship between the GLP-1 receptor gene and NIDDM, linkage of a microsatellite polymorphism flanking the GLP-1 receptor gene with diabetes was investigated in three Caucasian families with MODY and in the nuclear families of 12 NIDDM probands. A cumulative LOD score -8.50 excludes linkage in these MODY pedigrees. A LOD score of -1.24 in the NIDDM nuclear pedigrees makes linkage improbable. Mutations in or near the GLP-1 receptor gene are unlikely to be the major cause of the inherited predisposition to NIDDM in Caucasian pedigrees, but we cannot exclude a role for this locus in a polygenic model or a major role in some pedigrees.