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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 May 1.
Published in final edited form as: Transl Res. 2012 Jan 10;159(5):355–365. doi: 10.1016/j.trsl.2011.12.004

Figure 2.

Figure 2

The glyoxalase system is composed of two enzymes, glyoxalase I (GLO1) and glyoxalase II. Reactive dicarbonyls, like methylglyoxal, are effectively detoxified via this metabolic pathway. The glyoxalase enzyme pathway catalyzes the conversion of reactive α-oxoaldehydes into the corresponding α-hydroxyacids. In this schematic, methylglyoxal reacts with glutathione and is converted to S-d-Lactoylglutathione by GLO1. This intermediate is then broken down into d-lactate by glyoxalase II and reduced glutathione is recycled.