3-Phosphoglyceric acid barium is a metabolic intermediate in both glycolysis and the Calvin cycle. It is involved in alveolar macrophage epigenetic regulation.

3-Phosphoglyceric acid barium (400 μM; 24 hours; BMDMs) treatment enhances Spp1 transcription in VHL-deficient macrophages, and the reduced H3K4me3 modification is also reversed. 3-Phosphoglyceric treatment significantly augments gene expression as well as H3K4me3 deposition of Spp1 in IL-4-stimulated macrophages. In yeast, 3-Phosphoglyceric acid acts as a metabolic checkpoint for the formation of a multicomponent enzyme complex including serine metabolic enzymes and pyruvate kinase isoform 2 (PKM2) homolog, which senses both serine metabolism and glycolysis and regulates H3K4 methylation and histone phosphorylation.