Extinction of peroxisomal functions in hepatoma cell-fibroblast hybrids

Although peroxisomes are ubiquitous, differences in the number of organelles and in the expression of associated metabolic activities are observed, depending on the cell type. To investigate the control of peroxisomal activity in connection with cell differentiation, we constructed hybrids between two types of cells whose histogenetic origins dictate significant differences in peroxisomal activities: hepatoma cells and fibroblasts, with high and low expression, respectively, of peroxisomal functions. In these hybrids, extinction of the elevated activities that characterize liver cells is observed, in parallel with the well-documented extinction of differentiated functions. This suggests the existence in fibroblasts of a negative trans-acting regulation.