This family represents the N-terminus (approximately 300 residues) of a number of plant and fungal glyoxal oxidase enzymes. Glyoxal oxidase catalyses the oxidation of aldehydes to carboxylic acids, coupled with reduction of dioxygen to hydrogen peroxide. It is an essential component of the extracellular lignin degradation pathways of the wood-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium [1].

1: Identification of catalytic residues in glyoxal oxidase by targeted mutagenesis. Whittaker MM, Kersten PJ, Cullen D, Whittaker JW; J Biol Chem 1999;274:36226-36232. PMID:10593910