Glycerol 3-phosphate is an organophosphate

Organophosphate

An organophosphate is the general name for esters of phosphoric acid. Phosphates are probably the most pervasive organophosphorus compounds. Many of the most important biochemicals are organophosphates, including DNA and RNA as well as many cofactors that are essential for life...

 derived from the reaction catalysed by glycerol kinase

Glycerol kinase

Glycerol kinase is a phosphotransferase enzyme involved in triglycerides and glycerophospholipids synthesis.Glycerol kinase catalyzes the transfer of a phosphate from ATP to glycerol thus forming glycerol phosphate . Adipocytes lack glycerol kinase so they cannot metabolize the glycerol produced...

 (or ATP:glycerol 3-phosphotransferase) where ATP + 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...

 <=> ADP + sn-glycerol 3-phosphate. It is a component of glycerophospholipid

Glycerophospholipid

Glycerophospholipids or phosphoglycerides are glycerol-based phospholipids. They are the main component of biological membranes.-Structures:...

s. It should not be confused with the similarly named 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...

 or glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate

Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate

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 pathways of all organisms...

. The L-configuration is the active enantiomer

Enantiomer

In chemistry, an enantiomer is one of two stereoisomers that are mirror images of each other that are non-superposable , much as one's left and right hands are the same except for opposite orientation. It can be clearly understood if you try to place your hands one over the other without...

.

Function

Glycerol 3-phosphate is produced from 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...

, the triose sugar backbone of triglyceride

Triglyceride

A triglyceride is an ester derived from glycerol and three fatty acids. There are many triglycerides, depending on the oil source, some are highly unsaturated, some less so....

s and glycerophospholipid

Glycerophospholipid

Glycerophospholipids or phosphoglycerides are glycerol-based phospholipids. They are the main component of biological membranes.-Structures:...

s, by the enzyme glycerol kinase

Glycerol kinase

Glycerol kinase is a phosphotransferase enzyme involved in triglycerides and glycerophospholipids synthesis.Glycerol kinase catalyzes the transfer of a phosphate from ATP to glycerol thus forming glycerol phosphate . Adipocytes lack glycerol kinase so they cannot metabolize the glycerol produced...

. Glycerol 3-phosphate may then be converted by dehydrogenation

Dehydrogenation

Dehydrogenation is a chemical reaction that involves the elimination of hydrogen . It is the reverse process of hydrogenation. Dehydrogenation reactions may be either large scale industrial processes or smaller scale laboratory procedures....

 to dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) by the enzyme glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase is an enzyme that catalyzes the reversible redox conversion of dihydroxyacetone phosphate to sn-glycerol 3-phosphate....

. DHAP can then be rearranged into glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate

Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate

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 pathways of all organisms...

(GA3P) by triose phosphate isomerase(TIM), and feed into glycolysis

Glycolysis

Glycolysis is the metabolic pathway that converts glucose C6H12O6, into pyruvate, CH3COCOO− + H+...

.

The glycerol 3-phosphate shuttle is used to rapidly regenerate NAD⁺

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, abbreviated NAD, is a coenzyme found in all living cells. The compound is a dinucleotide, since it consists of two nucleotides joined through their phosphate groups. One nucleotide contains an adenine base and the other nicotinamide.In metabolism, NAD is involved...

 in brain and skeletal muscle cells of mammals.

See also

• Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase
  Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase
  Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase is an enzyme that catalyzes the reversible redox conversion of dihydroxyacetone phosphate to sn-glycerol 3-phosphate....
  
  
• Phosphoethanolamine