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. A 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:[1]
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| Other names
Tartronaldehydic acid | |
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CompTox Dashboard (EPA) |
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| Properties | |
| C3H4O4 | |
| Molar mass | 104.061 g·mol−1 |
| Appearance | white solid |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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This condensation is catalyzed by tartronate-semialdehyde synthase.
