Compound

dihydroxyacetone

A ketotriose compound. Its addition to blood preservation solutions results in better maintenance of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate levels during storage. It is readily phosphorylated to dihydroxyacetone phosphate by triokinase in erythrocytes. In combination with naphthoquinones it acts as a sunscreening agent.

Definition from MeSH (D004098), National Library of Medicine, read 2026-09-23. NLM revises MeSH; this copy may not reflect its current record.

CHEBI:16016ChEBI

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Structure

2D depiction · 3D model shown

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A generated conformer of dihydroxyacetone — one low-energy arrangement PubChem computed, not a measured structure. Hydrogens are not drawn; the formula counts them.

Class: Organic compound
Formula: C3H6O3
Mass: 90.078 g/mol
Charge: 0
InChIKey: RXKJFZQQPQGTFL-UHFFFAOYSA-N
SMILES: O=C(CO)CO
Look it up: ChEBI PubChem By InChIKey

Identity from ChEBI, geometry from PubChem. Not evidence.

What it touches on the way

Mechanistic reach

5 entities

5 entities reached.

0 reported hops5 assembled from the scaffold

What the reference databases state

Chemical structure

CHEBI:16108 has the functional parent dihydroxyacetoneCompoundChEBI CHEBI:16108Inferred only
dihydroxyacetone phosphate has the functional parent dihydroxyacetoneCompoundChEBI CHEBI:57642Inferred only

Statements

19 statements

19 statements · 2 reference databases · Subject: dihydroxyacetone · Sources: Human-GEM, Rhea

Order

dihydroxyacetone is converted to CHEBI:16108CompoundHuman-GEM MAR07755Inferred only
dihydroxyacetone is converted to CHEBI:16108CompoundHuman-GEM MAR04390Inferred only
CHEBI:16108 is converted to dihydroxyacetoneCompoundHuman-GEM MAR04390Inferred only
CHEBI:16108 is converted to dihydroxyacetoneCompoundHuman-GEM MAR00068Inferred only
dihydroxyacetone phosphate is converted to dihydroxyacetoneCompoundRhea RHEA:51728Inferred only
dihydroxyacetone is converted to dihydroxyacetone phosphateCompoundRhea RHEA:15773Inferred only
dihydroxyacetone is converted to dihydroxyacetone phosphateCompoundRhea RHEA:51728Inferred only
dihydroxyacetone phosphate is converted to dihydroxyacetoneCompoundRhea RHEA:15773Inferred only
dihydroxyacetone is converted to glycerolCompoundRhea RHEA:13769Inferred only
glycerol is converted to dihydroxyacetoneCompoundRhea RHEA:12753Inferred only
glycerol is converted to dihydroxyacetoneCompoundRhea RHEA:13769Inferred only
dihydroxyacetone is converted to glycerolCompoundRhea RHEA:12753Inferred only

Show the remaining 7

dihydroxyacetone is a substrate of ALPGProteinHuman-GEM MAR04390Inferred only
dihydroxyacetone is a substrate of ALPIProteinHuman-GEM MAR04390Inferred only
dihydroxyacetone is a substrate of ALPLProteinHuman-GEM MAR04390Inferred only
dihydroxyacetone is a substrate of ALPPProteinHuman-GEM MAR04390Inferred only
dihydroxyacetone is a substrate of DCPH1ProteinRhea RHEA:28002Inferred only
dihydroxyacetone is a substrate of TKFCProteinHuman-GEM MAR07755Inferred only
dihydroxyacetone is a substrate of TKFCProteinRhea RHEA:15773Inferred only

Reactions

15 reactions

CHEBI:16108+waterdihydroxyacetone+phosphate(3-)
Catalysed by ALPL or ALPP or ALPG or ALPI
Reaction pageLeft to rightBalancedEC 3.1.3.1cytosol
Human-GEM MAR00068CC BY 4.0Reference data
dihydroxyacetone
Reaction pageReversibleBalance undeterminableextracellular space
Human-GEM MAR01921CC BY 4.0Reference data
CHEBI:16108+waterdihydroxyacetone+phosphate(3-)
Catalysed by ALPL or ALPP or ALPG or ALPI
Reaction pageReversibleBalancedEC 3.1.3.1extracellular space
Human-GEM MAR04390CC BY 4.0Reference data
ATP+dihydroxyacetoneADP+CHEBI:16108+proton
Catalysed by TKFC
Reaction pageLeft to rightBalancedEC 2.7.1.29extracellular space
Human-GEM MAR07755CC BY 4.0Reference data
glycerol+NADP(3-)dihydroxyacetone+NADPH(4-)+hydron
Reaction pageDirection not assertedBalanced
Rhea RHEA:12753CC BY 4.0Reference data
glycerol+NAD(1-)dihydroxyacetone+NADH(2-)+hydron
Reaction pageDirection not assertedBalanced
Rhea RHEA:13769CC BY 4.0Reference data
dihydroxyacetone+ATP(4-)dihydroxyacetone phosphate+ADP(3-)+hydron
Catalysed by TKFC
Reaction pageDirection not assertedBalanced
Rhea RHEA:15773CC BY 4.0Reference data
glycerol+Adihydroxyacetone+AH2
Reaction pageDirection not assertedBalanced
Rhea RHEA:17493CC BY 4.0Reference data
dihydroxyacetone+phosphoenolpyruvatedihydroxyacetone phosphate+pyruvate
Reaction pageDirection not assertedBalanced
Rhea RHEA:18381CC BY 4.0Reference data
D-xylulose 5-phosphate+formaldehydedihydroxyacetone+D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate
Reaction pageDirection not assertedBalanced
Rhea RHEA:24264CC BY 4.0Reference data
beta-D-fructose 6-phosphatedihydroxyacetone+D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate
Catalysed by DCPH1
Reaction pageDirection not assertedBalanced
Rhea RHEA:28002CC BY 4.0Reference data
CHEBI:64270CHEBI:64254+dihydroxyacetone
Reaction pageDirection not assertedBalanced
Rhea RHEA:33087CC BY 4.0Reference data

Show the remaining 3

Other names

11 names

Resolves to: dihydroxyacetone

Also called: 1,3-Dihydroxy-2-propanone1,3-Dihydroxyacetone1,3-Dihydroxydimethyl ketone1,3-Dihydroxypropan-2-one1,3-Dihydroxypropanone1,3-propanediol-2-onealpha,alpha'-dihydroxyacetoneBis(hydroxymethyl) ketoneDHAGlyceroneα,α'-dihydroxyacetone