Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate
Encyclopedia
Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, also known as triose phosphate or 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde and abbreviated as G3P, GADP, GAP, TP, GALP or PGAL, is a chemical compound
that occurs as an intermediate in several central metabolic pathway
s of all organisms. It is a phosphate ester
of the 3-carbon sugar glyceraldehyde
and has chemical formula
C
3H
7O
6P
.
The CAS number of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate is 142-10-9 and that of D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (one of the two optical isomers
of the compound and the one most often occurring in living organisms) is 591-57-1.
The numbering of the carbon atoms indicates the fate of the carbons according to their position in fructose 6-phosphate.
D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate is also of some importance since this is how glycerol
(as DHAP) enters the glycolytic and gluconeogenic pathways. Furthermore, it is a participant in and a product of the pentose phosphate pathway
.
, 2 molecules of glycerate 3-phosphate
(GP; also known as 3-phosphoglycerate) are produced by the first step of the light-independent reaction
s when ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) and carbon dioxide
are catalysed by the rubisco
enzyme. The GP is converted to D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (G3P) using the energy in ATP
and the reducing power of NADPH as part of the Calvin cycle
. This returns ADP
, phosphate ions Pi, and NADP+ to the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis for their continued function.
RuBP is regenerated for the Calvin cycle to continue.
G3P is generally considered the prime end-product of photosynthesis and it can be used as an immediate food nutrient, combined and rearranged to form monosaccharide sugars, such as glucose
, which can be transported to other cells, or packaged for storage as insoluble polysaccharide
s such as starch
.
and 12 NADPH) →12 G3P (3-carbon)
10 G3P (+ energy from 6 ATP
) → 6 RuBP (i.e. starting material regenerated)
2 G3P → glucose
(6-carbon).
, an essential amino acid
that cannot be produced by the human body.
(Vitamin B1), another substance that cannot be produced by the human body.
Chemical compound
A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...
that occurs as an intermediate in several central metabolic pathway
Metabolic pathway
In biochemistry, metabolic pathways are series of chemical reactions occurring within a cell. In each pathway, a principal chemical is modified by a series of chemical reactions. Enzymes catalyze these reactions, and often require dietary minerals, vitamins, and other cofactors in order to function...
s of all organisms. It is a phosphate ester
Phosphoric acids and Phosphates
There are various kinds of phosphoric acids and phosphates. Of the many phosphorus oxoacids, the phosphoric acids constitute the largest and most diverse group. The simplest phosphoric acid series begins with monophosphoric acid, continues with many oligophosphoric acids such as diphosphoric acid...
of the 3-carbon sugar glyceraldehyde
Glyceraldehyde
Glyceraldehyde is a triose monosaccharide with chemical formula C3H6O3. It is the simplest of all common aldoses. It is a sweet, colorless, crystalline solid that is an intermediate compound in carbohydrate metabolism...
and has chemical formula
Chemical formula
A chemical formula or molecular formula is a way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound....
C
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...
3H
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
7O
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
6P
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...
.
The CAS number of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate is 142-10-9 and that of D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (one of the two optical isomers
Chirality (chemistry)
A chiral molecule is a type of molecule that lacks an internal plane of symmetry and thus has a non-superimposable mirror image. The feature that is most often the cause of chirality in molecules is the presence of an asymmetric carbon atom....
of the compound and the one most often occurring in living organisms) is 591-57-1.
Formation
D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate is formed from the following three compounds in reversible reactions:- Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (F1,6BP), catalyzed by aldolaseAldolaseAldolase A is an enzyme that catalyses a reverse aldol reaction: The substrate, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate is broken down into glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate . This reaction is a part of glycolysis. Three aldolase isozymes , encoded by three different genes, are...
.
The numbering of the carbon atoms indicates the fate of the carbons according to their position in fructose 6-phosphate.
- Dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAPDhapDhap is a village development committee in Darchula District in the Mahakali Zone of western Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 4092 people living in 694 individual households.-External links:*...
), catalyzed by triose phosphate isomerase.
- 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate (1,3BPG), catalyzed by glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenaseGlyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenaseGlyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase is an enzyme of ~37kDa that catalyzes the sixth step of glycolysis and thus serves to break down glucose for energy and carbon molecules...
.
As a substrate
- To produce 1,3-bisphospho-D-glycerate in glycolysisGlycolysisGlycolysis is the metabolic pathway that converts glucose C6H12O6, into pyruvate, CH3COCOO− + H+...
.
D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate is also of some importance since this is how glycerol
Glycerol
Glycerol is a simple polyol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is widely used in pharmaceutical formulations. Glycerol has three hydroxyl groups that are responsible for its solubility in water and its hygroscopic nature. The glycerol backbone is central to all lipids...
(as DHAP) enters the glycolytic and gluconeogenic pathways. Furthermore, it is a participant in and a product of the pentose phosphate pathway
Pentose phosphate pathway
The pentose phosphate pathway is a process that generates NADPH and pentoses . There are two distinct phases in the pathway. The first is the oxidative phase, in which NADPH is generated, and the second is the non-oxidative synthesis of 5-carbon sugars...
.
An intermediate in photosynthesis
During plant photosynthesisPhotosynthesis
Photosynthesis is a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae, and many species of bacteria, but not in archaea. Photosynthetic organisms are called photoautotrophs, since they can...
, 2 molecules of glycerate 3-phosphate
Glycerate 3-phosphate
3-Phosphoglyceric acid , or glycerate 3-phosphate , is a biochemically significant 3-carbon molecule that is a metabolic intermediate in both glycolysis and the Calvin cycle. This chemical is often termed PGA when referring to the Calvin cycle...
(GP; also known as 3-phosphoglycerate) are produced by the first step of the light-independent reaction
Light-independent reaction
The light-independent reactions of photosynthesis are chemical reactions that convert carbon dioxide and other compounds into glucose. These reactions occur in the stroma, the fluid-filled area of a chloroplast outside of the thylakoid membranes. These reactions take the light-dependent reactions...
s when ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) and carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
are catalysed by the rubisco
RuBisCO
Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase, commonly known by the shorter name RuBisCO, is an enzyme involved in the first major step of carbon fixation, a process by which atmospheric carbon dioxide is converted by plants to energy-rich molecules such as glucose. RuBisCo is an abbreviation...
enzyme. The GP is converted to D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (G3P) using the energy in ATP
Adenosine triphosphate
Adenosine-5'-triphosphate is a multifunctional nucleoside triphosphate used in cells as a coenzyme. It is often called the "molecular unit of currency" of intracellular energy transfer. ATP transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism...
and the reducing power of NADPH as part of the Calvin cycle
Calvin cycle
The Calvin cycle or Calvin–Benson-Bassham cycle or reductive pentose phosphate cycle or C3 cycle or CBB cycle is a series of biochemical redox reactions that take place in the stroma of chloroplasts in photosynthetic organisms...
. This returns ADP
Adenosine diphosphate
Adenosine diphosphate, abbreviated ADP, is a nucleoside diphosphate. It is an ester of pyrophosphoric acid with the nucleoside adenosine. ADP consists of the pyrophosphate group, the pentose sugar ribose, and the nucleobase adenine....
, phosphate ions Pi, and NADP+ to the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis for their continued function.
RuBP is regenerated for the Calvin cycle to continue.
G3P is generally considered the prime end-product of photosynthesis and it can be used as an immediate food nutrient, combined and rearranged to form monosaccharide sugars, such as glucose
Glucose
Glucose is a simple sugar and an important carbohydrate in biology. Cells use it as the primary source of energy and a metabolic intermediate...
, which can be transported to other cells, or packaged for storage as insoluble polysaccharide
Polysaccharide
Polysaccharides are long carbohydrate molecules, of repeated monomer units joined together by glycosidic bonds. They range in structure from linear to highly branched. Polysaccharides are often quite heterogeneous, containing slight modifications of the repeating unit. Depending on the structure,...
s such as starch
Starch
Starch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by all green plants as an energy store...
.
Balance sheet
6 CO2 + 6 RuBP (+ energy from 12 ATPAdenosine triphosphate
Adenosine-5'-triphosphate is a multifunctional nucleoside triphosphate used in cells as a coenzyme. It is often called the "molecular unit of currency" of intracellular energy transfer. ATP transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism...
and 12 NADPH) →12 G3P (3-carbon)
10 G3P (+ energy from 6 ATP
Adenosine triphosphate
Adenosine-5'-triphosphate is a multifunctional nucleoside triphosphate used in cells as a coenzyme. It is often called the "molecular unit of currency" of intracellular energy transfer. ATP transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism...
) → 6 RuBP (i.e. starting material regenerated)
2 G3P → glucose
Glucose
Glucose is a simple sugar and an important carbohydrate in biology. Cells use it as the primary source of energy and a metabolic intermediate...
(6-carbon).
In tryptophan biosynthesis
Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate occurs as a byproduct in the biosynthesis pathway of tryptophanTryptophan
Tryptophan is one of the 20 standard amino acids, as well as an essential amino acid in the human diet. It is encoded in the standard genetic code as the codon UGG...
, an essential amino acid
Amino acid
Amino acids are molecules containing an amine group, a carboxylic acid group and a side-chain that varies between different amino acids. The key elements of an amino acid are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen...
that cannot be produced by the human body.
In thiamine biosynthesis
Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate occurs as a reactant in the biosynthesis pathway of thiamineThiamine
Thiamine or thiamin or vitamin B1 , named as the "thio-vitamine" is a water-soluble vitamin of the B complex. First named aneurin for the detrimental neurological effects if not present in the diet, it was eventually assigned the generic descriptor name vitamin B1. Its phosphate derivatives are...
(Vitamin B1), another substance that cannot be produced by the human body.
External links
- D-Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and the reactions and pathways it participates in, from the KEGG PATHWAY DatabaseKEGG PATHWAY DatabaseKEGG is a collection of online databases dealing with genomes, enzymatic pathways, and biological chemicals. The PATHWAY database records networks of molecular interactions in the cells, and variants of them specific to particular organisms...
- Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and the reactions and pathways it participates in, from the KEGG PATHWAY Database