Fig. 1. Schematic of Methylglyoxal (MG) metabolism and catabolism.
MG is a highly reactive, toxic product that forms spontaneously during the catabolism of sugars, fatty acids, and proteins. It can be detoxified to D-lactate via the GSH-dependent glyoxalase system, consisting of Glo1 and Glo2, or to lactaldehyde through NAD(P)H-dependent MG reductases such as Mgd1 and Mgd2, which are homologs of C. albicans Grp2. F-1,6-di-P, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate; DHAP, dihydroxyacetone phosphate; GSH, reduced glutathione. Solid arrows represent enzymatic processes; dashed arrows represent nonenzymatic processes.