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Other names
Tartronaldehydic acid 2-hydroxy-3-oxopropanoic acid formyl(hydroxy)acetic acid Hydroxymalonaldehydic acid | |
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Chemical formula | C3H4O4 |
Molar mass | 104.061 g·mol |
Appearance | white solid |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C , 100 kPa). Infobox references |
Tartronic acid semialdehyde is the organic compound with the formula OCHCH(OH)CO2H. The molecule has three functional groups, aldehyde, alcohol, and carboxylic acid. A white solid, it occurs naturally. At near neutral pH, it exists as the hydrated carboxylate (HO)2CHCH(OH)CO2, which is referred to as tartronate semialdehyde. Tartronate semialdehyde is produced and consumed on a prodigious scale as an intermediate in photorespiration, an undesirable side reaction that competes with photosynthesis. It is produced biologically by the condensation of two equivalents of glyoxalate:
- 2 OC(H)CO2H → OC(H)CH(OH)CO2H + CO2
This condensation is catalyzed by tartronate-semialdehyde synthase.
References
- Leegood RC (May 2007). "A Welcome Diversion from Photorespiration". Nature Biotechnology. 25 (5): 539–40. doi:10.1038/nbt0507-539. PMID 17483837. S2CID 5015366.