Understanding how structure influences the function of glyoxalase 1

Glyoxalase 1 (GLO1), a vital metabolic enzyme, contributes to diseases such as diabetic complications and cancers. Utilising GLO1 as a therapeutic agent is of great significance but has been historically challenging. Mutagenesis and structural analyses performed in this research revealed that a single amino acid change effectively controls GLO1 activity. Valuable insights into necessary modifications for enhancing enzyme efficiency were obtained by studying diverse GLO1 variants in mammalian cells. A novel yeast model was developed to rapidly evaluate the impact of these changes on yeast growth, offering a means for further modulation of GLO1 activity with potential for therapeutic applications.