Isolation of methylglyoxal synthase from goat liver

Methylglyoxal-catabolizing enzymes of Leishmania donovani promastigotes

Methylglyoxal is a toxic metabolite with growth inhibitory properties against Leishmania donovani promastigotes. We have shown in the present study that both log and stationary phase promastigotes of L. donovani can catabolize methylglyoxal to D-lactate as the major end product. The specific activity of methylglyoxal reductase was found to be the highest of all the catabolic enzymes. In contrast, the anabolic pathway for methylglyoxal could not be detected. Moreover, when control promastigotes or promastigotes in which the glycolytic pathway was inhibited were incubated with glucose, glycerol or dihydroxyacetone phosphate as energy source, neither methylglyoxal nor D-lactate could be detected.

Glyoxalase activity in human red blood cells fractioned by age

Human red blood cells were fractionated by density, which correlates with cell age, and the activities of glyoxalase I and glyoxalase II were determined for each fraction. The activity of glyoxalase I and glyoxalase II both significantly increased during maturation of the red blood cells (P less than 0.001), except in the most dense, old cell fraction where both glyoxalase activities decreased. The increase in glyoxalase activity from the reticulocyte-rich fraction to mature erythrocytes was substantial and markedly different from other glycolytic enzymes which typically decrease. This suggests that glyoxalase activity changes markedly during and probably after the maturation of reticulocytes to erythrocytes. The decrease in glyoxalase activity from the mature to old red blood cell fractions may be caused by oxidative inactivation of glyoxalases. The decreased capacity to metabolise methylglyoxal may be an important factor in red blood cell senesence. This is expected to be particularly important in diabetes mellitus where the rate of methylglyoxal formation is increased during hyperglycaemia.

D-lactate production by Leishmania braziliensis through the glyoxalase pathway

Leishmania braziliensis promastigotes incubated anaerobically produce D-lactate from glucose, ribose, and methylglyoxal, but not from glycerol, alanine, or pyruvate, suggesting the presence of glyoxalases I and II but the absence of D-lactate dehydrogenase. Further support for this is shown by: (1) conversion of methylglyoxal to D-lactate in sonicates of promastigotes in the presence of reduced glutathione, (2) utilization of phenylglyoxal at rates comparable to methylglyoxal, (3) lack of utilization of exogenously supplied D-lactate by promastigotes under aerobic conditions. Sonicates of promastigotes catalyze the conversion of dihydroxyacetone phosphate to methylglyoxal, suggesting the presence of methylglyoxal synthase. Whereas the rate of production of D-lactate from glucose is much greater under anaerobic conditions, the rate from methylglyoxal is independent of oxygen tension, indicating that control of flux through the methylglyoxal pathway occurs at, or before, methylglyoxal synthase.

Involvement of arginine residues in glutathione binding to yeast glyoxalase I

Yeast glyoxalase I was inactivated by arginine-specific reagents. Inactivation by 2,3-butanedione, phenylglyoxal and camphorquinone 10-sulfonic acid followed pseudo first-order kinetics with the rate dependent upon modifier concentration. Extrapolation to complete inactivation showed modification of approx. two of the ten total arginyl residues in the native enzyme, with approx. one residue protected by glutathione (GSH) as determined by [ring-14C]phenylglyoxal incorporation. GSH protected the enzyme from inactivation, whereas methylglyoxal, glutathione disulfide (GSSG) and dithiothreitol afforded partial protection. The hemimercaptal of methylglyoxal and GSH and the catalytic product, S-lactoylglutathione provided substantial protection from inactivation. A methyl ester placed on the glycyl carboxyl moiety of GSH abolished all protective capability which suggests that this functionality is responsible for binding to the enzyme. These results provide the first evidence concerning the molecular binding mode of GSH to an enzyme. Arginyl residues are proposed as anionic recognition sites for glutathione on other GSH-utilizing enzymes.