Erythrulose
Chemical compound
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
D-Erythrulose (also known as erythrulose) is the organic compound with the formula HOCH2C(O)CH(OH)CH2OH (alternate notation as C4H8O4). As a ketone-containing monosaccharide, it is classified as a ketose and tetrose.[1][2]
D-Erythrulose | |
 Erythrulose enantiomers in Fischer projection | |
| Names | |
|---|---|
| IUPAC name
D-glycero-Tetrulose | |
| Systematic IUPAC name
(3R)-1,3,4-Trihydroxybutan-2-one | |
| Other names
Glycerotetrulose, erythrulose | |
| Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) |
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| ChEBI | |
| ChemSpider | |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.129.795 |
PubChem CID |
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| UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) |
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| Properties | |
| C4H8O4 | |
| Molar mass | 120.104 g·mol−1 |
| Appearance | Syrup |
| Soluble | |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Erythrulose is a colorless, sweet-tasting, water-soluble solid.[3][4] Among the sugars, it is relatively obscure, being described as a "novelty tetrose".[5]
In 2026, broadband spectral surveys using large Earth-based telescopes detected erythrulose on dust grains in molecular clouds near the center of the Milky Way.[6]
Synthesis
It can be produced by hydrolysis of erythritol in the cell walls of plants.[4]
Erythrulose can also be synthesized by enzyme-mediated condensation of glycolaldehyde:[7]
- 2 HOCH2CHO → HOCH2C(O)CH(OH)CH2OH + H2O
Multiple pathways lead to erythrulose phosphates from glucose as well as splitting of sedoheptulose.[5]
Its detection in the Milky Way molecular cloud indicates that erythrulose can be synthesized abiotically in the extreme environment of space.[6]
Occurrence
Erythrulose occurs in many fruits, including melons and red raspberries.[5][8][9]
Among some 340 circumstellar molecules discovered in dust and gases of the interstellar medium, erythrulose is the first sugar identified.[8][9] The discovery was made from radio telescope surveys of G+0.693−0.027, a molecular cloud near the center of the Milky Way.[6] Two radio telescopes in Spain were used: the 40 meter telescope at Yebes and the 30 meter telescope in Granada.[6]
Identification of erythrulose in interstellar dust of the Milky Way indicates its possible involvement in forming sugar-containing nucleic acids during the origin of life on Earth about four billion years ago.[6][8][9]