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A four-carbon dicarboxylic keto acid with the formula HOOCCOCH2COOH. Oxaloacetate is a TCA cycle intermediate formed by oxidation of malic acid. It reacts with acetyl CoA to form the six-carbon acid citrate. Oxaloacetate is also an intermediate in glucose synthesis, and in C4 plants of the Hatch-Slack pathway. The carboxylation of pyruvate to form oxaloacetate is a major reaction for replacing TCA cycle intermediates that have been withdrawn to take part in synthetic reactions. The reverse of this reaction is an important route of glucose synthesis.
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