Erythrose

Erythrose is a tetrosesaccharide with the chemical formula C₄H₈O₄. It has one aldehyde group, and is thus part of the aldose family. The natural isomer is D-erythrose; it is a diastereomer of D-threose.

Erythrose was named after the sugar alcoholerythritol (Erythrit), from which it was first synthesized in 1887 by Emil Fischer and Julius Tafel.

Erythrose 4-phosphate is an intermediate in the pentose phosphate pathway and the Calvin cycle.

Oxidative bacteria can be made to use erythrose as its sole energy source.

Although often inconsequential, erythrose in aqueous solution mainly exists as the hydrate owing to the following equilibrium:

HOCH₂CH(OH)CH(OH)CHO + H₂O ⇌ HOCH₂CH(OH)CH(OH)CH(OH)₂