A mitochondria-driven quality control mechanism for peroxisomal membrane proteins

Peroxisomes are essential organelles involved in lipid and reactive oxygen species metabolism, and their function requires proper targeting of peroxisomal membrane proteins (PMPs). When peroxisome biogenesis fails, as occurs in peroxisome biogenesis disorders, PMP levels decrease markedly, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, using quantitative proteomics and transcriptomics in peroxisome-deficient cells, we observe widespread post-transcriptional downregulation of PMPs driven by increased protein turnover via ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. An unbiased CRISPR screen uncovers a mitochondrial quality control axis. PMPs that fail to reach their native peroxisomal destination are rerouted to mitochondria, where the mitochondrial outer membrane E3 ligases MUL1 and MARCH5 act redundantly to promote their degradation. Importantly, the transmembrane domain of PMPs is sufficient to drive their mitochondrial turnover. Functionally, simultaneous loss of peroxisomes and mitochondrial E3 ligases severely impairs cell proliferation, underscoring the essential role of this pathway. Together, these findings provide insight into the pathology of organelle dysfunction and reveal an inter-organelle quality control axis in which mitochondria act as a surveillance hub to clear PMPs and maintain cellular proteostasis when peroxisomes are absent.