Stereospecific Numbering. In order to designate the configuration of glycerol derivatives, the carbon atoms of glycerol are numbered stereospecifically. The carbon atom that appears on top in that Fischer projection that shows a vertical carbon chain with the hydroxyl group at carbon-2 to the left is designated as C-1. To differentiate such numbering from conventional numbering conveying no steric information, the prefix 'sn' (for stereospecifically numbered) is used.
This information and more can be found in http://www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iupac/lipid/lip1n2.html
Cheers!
Stereospecific Numbering. In order to designate the configuration of glycerol derivatives, the carbon atoms of glycerol are numbered stereospecifically. The carbon atom that appears on top in that Fischer projection that shows a vertical carbon chain with the hydroxyl group at carbon-2 to the left is designated as C-1. To differentiate such numbering from conventional numbering conveying no steric information, the prefix 'sn' (for stereospecifically numbered) is used.
This information and more can be found in http://www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iupac/lipid/lip1n2.html
Cheers!
I actually have been wondering this myself. So in this website, when they say "sn-glycerol-3-phosphate [L-(glycerol 3-phosphate) = D-(glycerol 1-phosphate)]" in example Lip 1.13, do they mean that L-(glycerol 3-phosphate) and D-(glycerol 1-phosphate) are identical?
Daniel, L-(glycerol 3-phosphate) and D-(glycerol 1-phosphate) they're not identical, L and D, just mean the spacial orientation of the OH group in glycerol
Can you take a look at the link Gustavo found (http://www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iupac/lipid/lip1n2.html), look at the Lip 1.13 example and explain what's going on in the first diagram?
It actually seems to be the same compound, in the same website they mention: "The parent substance of many phospholipids, natural glycerol phosphate, has been named both as L-a-glycerol phosphate and, according to standard rules of nomenclature, D-glycerol 1-phosphate", so it seems this stereospecific numbering of glycerol and its derivatives avoids the use of multiple nomenclature systems that not always provide steric information.
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