alkylDHAP
alkylDHAP is the abbreviated form of alkyl‑dihydroxyacetone phosphate, an essential intermediate in the biosynthesis of ether‑phospholipids, including plasmalogens and alkyl‑acyl‑glycerophospholipids. The molecule consists of the glycerol backbone of dihydroxyacetone phosphate in which the 1‑position aldehyde group is replaced by an alkyl chain linked via an ether bond. The addition of the alkyl group converts the diol phosphate into a tetrahedral alkyl‑DHA, which can thereafter be converted into the phospholipid headgroup.
The formation of alkylDHAP is catalysed by the enzyme alkyl‑dihydroxyacetone phosphate synthase (ADAPS) in the peroxisomal
After formation, alkylDHAP undergoes phosphorylation and reduction steps mediated by alkyl‑DHA‑phosphate reductase and related phosphatases, producing
Defects in the enzymes that generate or metabolise alkylDHAP are linked to peroxisomal disorders such as rhizomelic