Reassessing plant glyoxalases: large family and expanding functions

Methylglyoxal (MG), a reactive carbonyl compound, is generated during metabolism in living systems. However, under stress, its levels increase rapidly leading to cellular toxicity. Although the generation of MG is spontaneous in a cell, its detoxification is essentially catalyzed by the glyoxalase enzymes. In plants, modulation of MG content via glyoxalases influences diverse physiological functions ranging from regulating growth and development to conferring stress tolerance. Interestingly, there has been a preferred expansion in the number of isoforms of these enzymes in plants, giving them high plasticity in their actions for accomplishing diverse roles. Future studies need to focus on unraveling the interplay of these multiple isoforms of glyoxalases possibly contributing towards the unique adaptability of plants to diverse environments.