Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Peroxisomes01:24

Peroxisomes

Peroxisomes are specialized organelles present in fungi, plant, and animal cells. It can vary in number, size, morphology, and activity depending on the type of tissue and the nutritional state of the cell. For example, cells with active lipid metabolism, such as adipocytes, neurons, and hepatocytes, have more peroxisomes than other cells in the body. Besides their primary role in breaking down complex organic molecules, peroxisomes can also synthesize specific macromolecules and participate in...
Peroxisomes and Mitochondria01:30

Peroxisomes and Mitochondria

Peroxisomes and mitochondria are two important oxygen-utilizing organelles in eukaryotic cells. Mitochondria carry out cellular respiration—the process that converts energy from food into ATP. Peroxisomes carry out a variety of functions, primarily breaking down different substances, such as fatty acids.
The peroxisome is a single membrane-bound cellular organelle that can perform several different functions, including lipid metabolism and chemical detoxification. The enzymes within peroxisomes...
Peroxisomes01:24

Peroxisomes

Peroxisomes are specialized organelles present in fungi, plant, and animal cells. It can vary in number, size, morphology, and activity depending on the type of tissue and the nutritional state of the cell. For example, cells with active lipid metabolism, such as adipocytes, neurons, and hepatocytes, have more peroxisomes than other cells in the body. Besides their primary role in breaking down complex organic molecules, peroxisomes can also synthesize specific macromolecules and participate in...
Protein Import into the Peroxisomes01:27

Protein Import into the Peroxisomes

Cells contain membrane-bound organelles called peroxisomes that oxidize organic molecules by transferring hydrogen atoms to oxygen, producing hydrogen peroxide. Peroxisomes enzymatically convert the released hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen.
Peroxisomal Protein Import:
Peroxisomes lack the genetic machinery required to code for their own proteins. Hence, most peroxisomal membrane, lumenal and transmembrane proteins are synthesized in the cytoplasm or ER and transported to the peroxisome...
Eukaryotic Compartmentalization01:37

Eukaryotic Compartmentalization

One of the distinguishing features of eukaryotic cells is that they contain membrane-bound organelles, such as the nucleus and mitochondria, that carry out specialized functions. Since biological membranes are only selectively permeable to solutes, they help create a compartment with controlled conditions inside an organelle. These microenvironments are tailored to the organelle's specific functions and help isolate them from the surrounding cytosol.
For example, lysosomes in the animal cells...
Eukaryotic Compartmentalizations01:46

Eukaryotic Compartmentalizations

One of the distinguishing features of eukaryotic cells is that they contain membrane-bound organelles, such as the nucleus and mitochondria, that carry out specialized functions. Since biological membranes are only selectively permeable to solutes, they help create a compartment with controlled conditions inside an organelle. These microenvironments are tailored to the organelle's specific functions and help isolate them from the surrounding cytosol.
For example, lysosomes in the animal cells...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Matrix mechanics couple contractility to metabolic adaptation in cancer cells.

Acta biomaterialia·2026
Same author

The O‑GlcNAcase Inhibition by Thiamet G Disrupts the AngioMatrix Signature of the Glioblastoma Secretome In Silico and Impairs Its Angiogenic Capacity In Vitro.

Journal of molecular biology·2026
Same author

Novel Non-Cytotoxic Acylphosphinates and Acylphosphine Oxides Photoinitiators.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same author

Evolution of a chloroplast subcompartment housing plastid DNA inside a cup-like starch granule.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same author

Bending the rules: curvature's impact on cell biology.

BMC biology·2025
Same author

Virus-like particles as modular interfaces for biomaterial functionalization.

Trends in biotechnology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 2026

Peroxisome Staining in Mammalian Cells Using Peroxisome-Specific Probes
05:57

Peroxisome Staining in Mammalian Cells Using Peroxisome-Specific Probes

Published on: December 19, 2025

Peroxisome assembly and functional diversity in eukaryotic microorganisms.

Laurent Pieuchot1, Gregory Jedd

  • 1Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore. laurent@tll.org.sg

Annual Review of Microbiology
|September 22, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Peroxisomes, crucial for metabolism, are evolving diverse functions across species. Their specialized forms, like glycosomes and Woronin bodies, highlight unique adaptations in protein import and subcompartment development.

More Related Videos

Monitoring Stub1-Mediated Pexophagy
08:26

Monitoring Stub1-Mediated Pexophagy

Published on: May 12, 2023

Using Fluorescent Proteins to Monitor Glycosome Dynamics in the African Trypanosome
10:04

Using Fluorescent Proteins to Monitor Glycosome Dynamics in the African Trypanosome

Published on: August 19, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 18, 2026

Peroxisome Staining in Mammalian Cells Using Peroxisome-Specific Probes
05:57

Peroxisome Staining in Mammalian Cells Using Peroxisome-Specific Probes

Published on: December 19, 2025

Monitoring Stub1-Mediated Pexophagy
08:26

Monitoring Stub1-Mediated Pexophagy

Published on: May 12, 2023

Using Fluorescent Proteins to Monitor Glycosome Dynamics in the African Trypanosome
10:04

Using Fluorescent Proteins to Monitor Glycosome Dynamics in the African Trypanosome

Published on: August 19, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Peroxisomes are essential eukaryotic organelles involved in lipid metabolism and reactive oxygen species detoxification.
  • Emerging evidence links peroxisomes to diverse taxa-specific metabolic, cellular, and developmental roles.
  • Peroxisome assembly and matrix protein import mechanisms are fundamental to organelle function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of peroxisome assembly.
  • To discuss the functional diversification of peroxisomes.
  • To explore the mechanisms underlying peroxisome specialization and evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on peroxisome biogenesis and function.
  • Analysis of specialized peroxisome structures, such as glycosomes and Woronin bodies.
  • Examination of protein import pathways, including the role of targeting signals.

Main Results:

  • Peroxisome matrix protein import accommodates folded and oligomeric proteins via a unique translocon.
  • Specialized peroxisomes like trypanosome glycosomes compartmentalize glycolysis and influence development.
  • Filamentous ascomycete Woronin bodies bud from peroxisomes, regulating cell-to-cell communication through oligomeric cargo import.
  • Acquisition of a tripeptide peroxisome targeting signal is a recurring theme in peroxisome diversity evolution.

Conclusions:

  • Peroxisome functional diversification is driven by specialized structures and protein import mechanisms.
  • The evolution of peroxisome diversity is facilitated by the acquisition of specific targeting signals.
  • Understanding peroxisome specialization offers insights into eukaryotic evolution and metabolic adaptation.