Methylglyoxal (MG) is a reactive dicarbonyl compound produced in plants as a byproduct of various metabolic pathways. Maintaining homeostasis of MG is important for it to exert physiological functions. MG metabolism occurs primarily through the glyoxalase pathway. Recent research indicates MG may function as a signaling molecule involved in plant responses to abiotic stress. Overexpression of glyoxalase genes in transgenic plants enhances abiotic stress tolerance, suggesting the glyoxalase pathway and MG help confer stress tolerance by detoxifying MG levels. In silico analysis identified conserved motifs responsive to MG in the upstream regions of stress-responsive genes regulated by MG.

1. Methylglyoxal: An emerging signaling
molecule in plant abiotic stress response
and tolerance
Roshni.M
IPhD Plant Biotechnology
PALB6078

2. PubChem CID 880
Chemical
Names
Methylglyoxal;
Pyruvaldehyde;
Pyruvic aldehyde;
Acetylformaldehyde
etc.,
IUPAC name 2-Oxopropanal;
Molecular
Formula
CH3COCHO /C3H4O2
Molecular
Weight:
72.063 g/mol
NCBI-Pubchem database

3. PROMINE RETINE THEORY …..
MG is a retine -inhibits cell division
Glyoxalase I is a promine -promotes cell division
Albert Szent-Györgyi (1965)

4. MG is a reactive α, β-dicarbonyl ketoaldehyde
Important to maintain MG homoeostasis to exert
physiological function
Zhong-Guang Li., 2016
Kaur et al., 2014a, b;
Hossain et al., 2016;
Singh & Dhaka, 2016

5. Pathway for MG metabolismPathway for MG metabolism
Major pathway of degradation
Zhong-Guang Li (2016)

6. Predicted sub-cellular localization of GLYI and GLYII proteins from different species
Kaur et al., 2013
Horton et al., 2007

7. Methylglyoxal toxicity in different cellular organelles
Charanpreet Kaur et al., 2016

8. Molecular basis of MG response
Kaur etal., (2015)
In silico analysis, identified conserved motifs as MG-
responsive elements (MGREs) in the upstream regions of
MG-responsive genes
In silico analysis, identified conserved motifs as MG-
responsive elements (MGREs) in the upstream regions of
MG-responsive genes

9. Implementing in abiotic stress ?Implementing in abiotic stress ?
 Glyoxalase pathway scavenge the MG- confers
tolerance to multiple stress
MG and gyloxalase is considered as potential markers
for evaluating plant abiotic stress tolerance

10. Participation of MG and glyoxalase in abiotic stress tolerance
Zhong-Guang Li (2016)

11. MG-Responsive Signal Transduction PathwayMG-Responsive Signal Transduction Pathway
Hoque et al., 2016

12. Glyoxalase genes overexpressed in transgenic plants
exhibiting enhanced abiotic stress tolerance.
Hoque et al., 2016

13. Effects of exogenous chemicals on glyoxalase
systems and abiotic stress tolerance.
Hoque et al., 2016

14. REFERENCES
• Charanpreet Kaur, Shweta Sharma, Sneh Lata Singla-Pareek and Sudhir K.
Sopory,2016, Methylglyoxal detoxification in plants: Role of glyoxalase pathway.
Ind J Plant Physiol.
• Zhong-Guang Li,2016, Methylglyoxal and Glyoxalase System in Plants: Old Players,
New Concepts. Bot. Rev. 82:183–203
• Tahsina S. Hoque , Mohammad A. Hossain, Mohammad G. Mostofa, David J.
Burritt, Masayuki Fujita and Lam-Son P. Tran,2016, Methylglyoxal: An Emerging
Signaling Molecule in Plant Abiotic Stress Responses and Tolerance . Fronties in
plant science.7
• Hoque, T. S., Uraji, M., Tuya, A., Nakamura, Y., & Murata, Y. (2012b). Methylglyoxal
inhibits seed germination and root elongation and up-regulates transcription of
stress-responsive genes in ABA-dependent pathway in Arabidopsis. Plant Biology,
14, 854–858.
• Kaur, C., Kushwaha, H. R., Pareek, A., Sopory, S. K., & Singla- Pareek, S. L. (2015a).
Analysis of global gene expression profiles of rice in response to methylglyoxal
indicates its possible role as a stress signal molecule. Frontiers in Plant Science, 6,
682.