Methylglyoxal-Scavenging Enzyme Activities Trigger Erythroascorbate Peroxidase and Cytochrome c Peroxidase in Glutathione-Depleted Candida albicans

γ-Glutamylcysteine synthetase (Gcs1) and glutathione reductase (Glr1) activity maintains minimal levels of cellular methylglyoxal in Candida albicans . In glutathione-depleted Δgcs1 , we previously saw that NAD(H)-linked methylglyoxal oxidoreductase (Mgd1) and alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh1) are the most active methylglyoxal scavengers. With methylglyoxal accumulation, disruptants lacking MGD1 or ADH1 exhibit a poor redox state. However, there is little convincing evidence for a reciprocal relationship between methylglyoxal scavenger genes-disrupted mutants and changes in glutathione-(in)dependent redox regulation. Herein, we attempt to demonstrate a functional role for methylglyoxal scavengers, modeled on a triple disruptant ( Δmgd1 / Δadh1 / Δgcs1 ), to link between antioxidative enzyme activities and their metabolites in glutathione-depleted conditions. Despite seeing elevated methylglyoxal in all of the disruptants, the result saw a decrease in pyruvate content in Δmgd1 / Δadh1 / Δgcs1 which was not observed in double gene-disrupted strains such as Δmgd1 / Δgcs1 and Δadh1 / Δgcs1 . Interestingly, Δmgd1 / Δadh1 / Δgcs1 exhibited a significantly decrease in H 2 O 2 and superoxide which was also unobserved in Δmgd1 / Δgcs1 and Δadh1 / Δgcs1 . The activities of the antioxidative enzymes erythroascorbate peroxidase and cytochrome c peroxidase were noticeably higher in Δmgd1 / Δadh1 / Δgcs1 than in the other disruptants. Meanwhile, Glr1 activity severely diminished in Δmgd1 / Δadh1 / Δgcs1 . Monitoring complementary gene transcripts between double gene-disrupted Δmgd1 / Δgcs1 and Δadh1 / Δgcs1 supported the concept of an unbalanced redox state independent of the Glr1 activity for Δmgd1 / Δadh1 / Δgcs1 . Our data demonstrate the reciprocal use of Eapx1 and Ccp1 in the absence of both methylglyoxal scavengers; that being pivotal for viability in non-filamentous budding yeast.