Dihydroxyacetone phosphate

Dihydroxyacetone phosphate
Dihydroxyacetone phosphate
Identifiers
CAS number 57-04-5 YesY
PubChem 4643300
ChemSpider 3833110 YesY
ChEBI CHEBI:57642 YesY
Jmol-3D images Image 1
Properties
Molecular formula C3H7O6P
Molar mass 170.06 g/mol
 YesY phosphate (verify) (what is: YesY/N?)
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) is a biochemical compound involved in many reactions, from the Calvin cycle in plants to the ether-lipid biosynthesis process in Leishmania mexicana. Its major biochemical role is in the glycolysis metabolic pathway. DHAP may be referred to as glycerone phosphate in older texts.

Dihydroxyacetone phosphate in glycolysis

Dihydroxyacetone phosphate lies in the glycolysis metabolic pathway, and is one of the two products of breakdown of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, along with glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. It is rapidly and reversibly isomerised to glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate.

β-D-fructose 1,6-bisphosphate fructose bisphosphate aldolase D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dihydroxyacetone phosphate
Beta-D-fructose-1,6-bisphosphate wpmp.png D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate wpmp.png + Glycerone-phosphate wpmp.png
Biochem reaction arrow reversible NNNN horiz med.png
fructose bisphosphate aldolase

Compound C05378 at KEGG Pathway Database. Enzyme 4.1.2.13 at KEGG Pathway Database. Compound C00111 at KEGG Pathway Database. Compound C00118 at KEGG Pathway Database.

The numbering of the carbon atoms indicates the fate of the carbons according to their position in fructose 6-phosphate.

Dihydroxyacetone phosphate triose phosphate isomerase D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate
Glycerone-phosphate wpmp.png   D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate wpmp.png
Biochem reaction arrow reversible NNNN horiz med.png
 
  triose phosphate isomerase

Compound C00111 at KEGG Pathway Database.Enzyme 5.3.1.1 at KEGG Pathway Database.Compound C00118 at KEGG Pathway Database.

Dihydroxyacetone phosphate in other pathways

In the Calvin cycle, DHAP is one of the products of the sixfold reduction of 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate by NADPH. It is also used in the synthesis of sedoheptulose 1,7-bisphosphate and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, both of which are used to reform ribulose 5-phosphate, the 'key' carbohydrate of the Calvin cycle.

DHAP is also the product of the dehydrogenation of L-glycerol-3-phosphate, which is part of the entry of glycerol (sourced from triglycerides) into the glycolytic pathway. On the converse, reduction of glycolysis-derived DHAP to L-glycerol-3-phosphate provides adipose cells with the activated glycerol backbone they require to synthesize new triglycerides. Both reactions are catalyzed by the enzyme glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase with NAD+/NADH as cofactor.

See also