Erythrose

Erythrose is a tetrose saccharide 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 first isolated in 1849 from rhubarb by the French pharmacist Louis Feux Joseph Garot (1798-1869), and was named as such because of its red hue in the presence of alkali metals (ἐρυθρός, "red").

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.