Energy-rich glyceric acid oxygen esters: implications for the origin of glycolysis.
The apparent Gibbs free energy change of hydrolysis (delta G degrees', pH 7) of the 2- and 3-O-glyceroyl esters of 2- and 3-O-L-glyceroyl-L-glyceric acid methyl ester were measured at 25 degrees C. The 2- and 3-glyceroyl esters were found to be 'energy-rich' with delta G degrees' values of -9.1 kcal mol-1 and -7.8 kcal mol, respectively. This result indicates that the analogous 2- and 3-glyceroyl esters of polyglyceric acid are also 'energy-rich' and, therefore, could have acted as an energy source for primitive phosphoanhydride synthesis.
Weber
A L
AL
Chemical Evolution Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, San Diego, CA 92138.
Hsu
V
V
D004734:Energy Metabolism; D004952:Esters; D005988:Glyceric Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D006019:Glycolysis; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry*; D013816:Thermodynamics
D004952:Esters; D005988:Glyceric Acids; C053491:polyglyceric acid; D010100:Oxygen