Peroxisome biogenesis involves a number of proteins, the so-called peroxins. Most peroxins are peroxisomal, but members of the Pex23 family localise to the ER and are thought to be involved in the formation ER–peroxisome contacts, although roles at other organelles have been described. However, only some of the Pex23 proteins have been studied extensively, mostly in a few yeast species, and our knowledge of the Pex23 family thus remains scarce. In this work, Ida van der Klei and colleagues (Wu, de Boer et al., 2020) set out to study all four Pex23 members of the yeast Hansenula polymorpha. They first show that, although all four Pex23 proteins localise to the ER, only Pex24 and Pex32 accumulate at ER–peroxisome contacts, but not Pex23 and Pex29. Accordingly, knockdown of pex24 or pex32 results in loss of ER–peroxisome contacts and extensive peroxisomal defects, including in peroxisome biogenesis, segregation and positioning within the cell. These defects could be rescued with an artificial ER–peroxisome tether, indicating that Pex24 and Pex32 are involved in tethering these organelles. Furthermore, localisation of Pex32 to ER–peroxisome contacts requires the peroxisomal membrane protein Pex11. Taken together, these findings present the first characterisation of the entire Pex23 family in a species, and will help to further elucidate their exact molecular functions in peroxisome biology.
Pex24 and Pex32 at ER–peroxisome contacts
Pex24 and Pex32 at ER–peroxisome contacts. J Cell Sci 15 August 2020; 133 (16): e1605. doi:
Download citation file:
Advertisement
Cited by
Introducing our new Editors
We welcome three new Editors to Journal of Cell Science - Robert Parton, Richa Rikhy and Simon Cook. You can read more about them in the Editorial from our Editor-in-Chief Michael Way.
2024 Journal Meeting 'Diversity and Evolution in Cell Biology'
Registration is open for our 2024 Journal Meeting Diversity and Evolution in Cell Biology, which aims to bring together evolutionary biologists and cell biologists investigating diverse aspects of cellular physiology. Final registration deadline: 3 May 2024.
Workshop: Physics of the Early Embryonic Cell Divisions
Early-career researchers interested in the roles of nuclear lipids, apply now for one of the ten funded places at this Workshop, which will take place 11-14 November 2024. Application deadline: 17 May.
Reasons to submit to Journal of Cell Science
There are many benefits to publishing in Journal of Cell Science - read more about why you should choose JCS or visit our submission page now.
Propose a new Workshop for 2026
We are now accepting proposals for our 2026 Workshops programme. We aim to be responsive to the community and open to novel initiatives, so if you have a new idea for a biological workshop that you feel would work well, please apply. Applications deadline: 19 July 2024.