Ketotriose

Ketotriose is a carbohydrate molecule that belongs to the monosaccharide class. As its name suggests, it is a triose, meaning it contains three carbon atoms. The "keto" prefix indicates the presence of a ketone functional group within the molecule. Specifically, ketotriose is a three-carbon sugar with a ketone group on the second carbon atom.

The most common and naturally occurring ketotriose is dihydroxyacetone. Dihydroxyacetone is an isomer of glyceraldehyde, which is an aldose (a monosaccharide with an aldehyde group). Both dihydroxyacetone and glyceraldehyde are important intermediates in cellular metabolism, particularly in the glycolysis pathway.

In glycolysis, dihydroxyacetone phosphate is formed from the breakdown of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate and is then isomerized to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, allowing it to enter the subsequent steps of the pathway. Dihydroxyacetone itself can also be formed from glycerol through oxidation, a process that occurs during fat metabolism.

While ketotriose in its free form is less stable and less common in biological systems than its phosphorylated derivatives, its presence and interconversion with aldoses are crucial for energy production in living organisms. The simple structure of ketotriose, with its three carbons and ketone functionality, makes it a fundamental building block in carbohydrate chemistry and biochemistry.