A 1971 study published by the
Harvard Medical School identified
methylglyoxal, a form of glycerol, as a product of lethal synthesis in a specific
E.coli mutant. In
E.coli, the synthesis of triose
phosphate from
glycerol is a reaction regulated by the synthesis rate of
glycerol kinase and by
feedback inhibition by
fructose-1,6-bisphosphate. These compounds, which are thought to be factors in ageing and in the progression of
degenerative diseases, have been shown to hinder the functions of the proteins they target. ==References==