Microbodies: Peroxisomes AND Glyoxysomes

MICROBODIES:
PEROXISOMES
AND
GLYOXYSOMES
Dr. Raheela Jabeen
Assistant Professor
Department of Biochemistry & Biotechnology, WUM
The cells of Protozoa, fungi, plants, liver and
kidney of vertebrates contain membrane-
bound, spherical bodies of 0.2 to 1.5 µm in
diameter
These organelles have a central granular or

crystalloid core containing some enzymes
MICROBODIES and are called microbodies
Microbodies use molecular oxygen , they

contain flavin-linked oxides and catalases
for the hydrogen peroxide metabolism and
also enzymes for fatty acid metabolism
HISTORY
• C.de Duve and P. Baudhuin (1966) coined the
term peroxisome for the microbodies of
mammalian systems
• Glyoxysomes were discovered in 1969 by
Beevers
MICROBODIES:TYPES
• Two types of microbodies:

1. Peroxisomes
2. Glyoxysomes
• These two organelles differ both in their enzyme complement and in the type of
tissue in which they are found
• Peroxisomes are found in animal cells and in the leaves of higher plants
• Glyoxysomes occur only in plant cells
PEROXISOMES
• Peroxisomes occur in many animal cells and in a wide range of

plants
• They are also present in Protozoa, brown algae, fungi, liverworts,
mosses and ferns
• They contain catalases and oxidases , they participate in the
oxidation of substrates, producing hydrogen peroxide which is
subsequently destroyed by catalase activity
• In plant cells, peroxisomes remain associated with ER, chloroplasts
and mitochondria and are involved in photorespiration
STRUCTURE
• Peroxisomes are variable in size and shape, but

usually appear circular
• They have membrane of lipid and protein
molecules, which encloses their granular matrix
• The matrix contains numerous threads while in
others they contain either an amorphous
nucleoid or a dense inner core
BIOGENESIS OF PEROXISOMES
• it was thought that the membrane ‘shell’ of the peroxisomes is formed by budding of
the endoplasmic reticulum while matrix is imported from the cytosol
• However, there is now evidence suggesting that new peroxisomes always arise from
pre-existing ones
• These formed by growth and fission of old organelles like mitochondria and
chloroplast
• Thus, peroxisomes are a collection of organelles with a constant membrane and a
variable enzymatic content
• .All their proteins are encoded by nuclear genes and are synthesized in cytosol
• The proteins present in either lumen or membrane of the peroxisome are taken up
post-translationally from the cytosol
• The lipids required to make new peroxisomal membrane are also imported from the
cytosol
they are self-replicating membrane bound organelle

FUNCTIONS OF PEROXISOMES
• it performs following two types of biochemical activities

A. Hydrogen peroxide metabolism : they contain one or more enzymes that use
molecular oxygen to remove hydrogen atoms from organic substrates in an
oxidative reaction that produces hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
• Catalase utilizes the H2O2 generated by other enzymes in the organelle to oxidize a
variety of other substances—including alcohols, phenols, formic acid and
formaldehyde
• This type of oxidative reaction is important in liver and kidney cells, whose
peroxisomes detoxify toxic molecules that enter the blood stream and H2O2 is
converted in H2O
B. Glycolate cycle : Peroxisomes of plant leaves contain catalase together with the
enzymes of glycolate pathway , The glycolate cycle is thought to bring about the
formation of the amino acids in a sequence of reactions
Photorespiration : Photorespiration is so-called because light induces the synthesis of
glycolic acid in chloroplasts. The entire process involves intervention of two basic
organelles : chloroplasts and peroxisomes
• C. β-oxidation : Peroxisomes contain
enzymes of β-oxidation for the metabolism
of fatty acids. They are capable of
oxidizing palmitoyl-CoA to acetyl-CoA,
using molecular oxygen and NAD as
electron acceptors , The acetyl-coA is
formed and transported to mitochondria
D. Other functions :
o Mammalian cells do not contain D-amino
acids, but the peroxisomes of mammalian
liver and kidney contain D-amino acid
oxidase. It is suggested that this enzyme is
meant for D-amino acids that are found in
the cell wall of the bacteria
o Uric acid oxidase in peroxisomes is
important in the catabolic pathway that
degrades purines
GLYOXYSOMES
• Glyoxysomes are found to occur in the
cells of yeast, Neurospora, and oil rich
seeds of many higher plants
• They contain enzymes of glyoxylate cycle
besides the catalases and oxidases
• Glyoxysomes are associated with lipid
bodies and contain enzymes for fatty acid
metabolism and gluconeogenesis
• Glyoxysomes are temporary because they occur during transient periods in the life cycle of a
plant such as in certain beans and nuts which store fats in their seeds as energy reserves
• Glyoxysomes appear in the first few days after germination of seeds in endosperm cells and
associate closely with lipid bodies
• They disappear after the storage fats are broken down and converted into carbohydrate
• Their appearance appears to coincide with the conversion of fats into carbohydrate during
seed germination
FUNCTIONS
• 1. Fatty acid metabolism : During germination of oily seeds, the stored lipid
molecules are hydrolysed by the enzyme lipase to glycerol and fatty acids. The
phospholipid molecules are hydrolysed by the enzyme phospholipase. The long
chain fatty acids which are released by the hydrolysis are then broken down by the
successive removal of two carbon in the process of β-oxidation
• 2. Glyoxylate cycle : The glyoxylate pathway occurs in glyoxysomes and it involves
some of the reactions of the Krebs cycle urate oxidases and allantoinase are found in
glyoxysomes. These enzymes catalyze the conversion of uric acid into allantoin and
subsequent hydration of allantoin to allantoic acid during the degradation of purine bases
• Other enzymes such as glycolate oxidase and several aminotransferases exist in
glyoxysomes. Their functions remain unclear
REFERENCES
• CELL BIOLOGY, GENETICS, MOLECULAR
BIOLOGY, EVOLUTION AND ECOLOGY
by P.S. VERMA , V.K. AGARWAL ,
Multicolour Edition 2005,chapter 6th
page 154-165.
• Zoology 4th edition by Stephen A. Miller
and John B. Harley. Chapter 3rd page
32-56.
THANKYOU

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MICROBODIES:

These organelles have a central granular or

Microbodies use molecular oxygen , they

• Two types of microbodies:

• Peroxisomes occur in many animal cells and in a wide range of

• Peroxisomes are variable in size and shape, but

they are self-replicating membrane bound organelle

• it performs following two types of biochemical activities

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