Altrose

Altrose is a type of monosaccharide or simple sugar, specifically an aldose. It is a rare sugar, not commonly found in nature. Altrose is a D-enantiomer of mannose and is one of the 16 D-aldohexoses.

Structure and Properties

Altrose is a six-carbon (hexose) sugar. Its chemical formula is C6H12O6. It is an aldose, meaning it contains an aldehyde group. The D- form of altrose is the naturally occurring form, while the L- form is rarely found in nature.

The structure of altrose can be represented in several ways. In the Fischer projection, the D- form of altrose is shown with the aldehyde group at the top and the hydroxyl groups on the right or left of the carbon chain. In the Haworth projection, altrose is shown as a cyclic structure, with the aldehyde group forming a hemiacetal with one of the hydroxyl groups.

Biological Role

Altrose is not commonly found in nature and has no known biological role. However, it can be synthesized in the laboratory and used for research purposes. For example, it can be used to study the properties of sugars and their interactions with other molecules.

Synthesis

Altrose can be synthesized from mannose by inversion of the hydroxyl group at the C-2 position. This can be achieved by treating mannose with an acid catalyst in the presence of an alcohol.

See Also

• Monosaccharide
• Aldose
• Mannose