The phosphonomethyl analogue of 3-phosphoglycerate is a potent competitive inhibitor of phosphoglycerate mutases.

The phosphonomethyl analogue of 3-phosphoglycerate (2-hydroxy-4-phosphonobutanoate) is a potent competitive inhibitor of cofactor-dependent phosphoglycerate mutase from yeast and of cofactor-independent phosphoglycerate mutase from wheat germ. For the yeast enzyme Ki is 1.3 mM (Km for substrate is 0.71 mM); for the wheatgerm enzyme Ki is 18 mM (Km for substrate is 0.86 mM). This analogue should be a useful tool for n.m.r. spectroscopic studies on the mechanism of action of the two mutases. The arsonomethyl analogue of 3-phosphoglycerate (4-arsono-2-hydroxybutanoate) was a relatively poor inhibitor.