Despite extensive characterization of peroxisome biogenesis in Arabidopsis grown in non-challenged conditions, the effects of environmental stressors on peroxisome function and pex mutant dysfunction are largely unexplored.
However, the diversity of genetic pathways altered by loss of peroxisome function underscores the widespread and varied responses seen in both the clinical and biochemical presentation of PBDs.
The contribution of peroxisome function to normal human development and physiology is underscored by the severity and lethality of PBDs.
This might implicate peroxisomes in the metabolic pathways of complex polysaccharides such as chitin, or might reflect changes in the secretory pathway through dysregulation and loss of peroxisome function.
These gene products are localized throughout the cell, and many have indirect connections to peroxisome function.
Moreover, accumulating evidence suggests that balancing PEX5 targeting and retrotranslocation is important for normal peroxisome function [ 14, 33].
To examine the effect of temperature on mutants with impaired peroxisome function, we surveyed peroxisome-defective mutants for sucrose dependence at normal (22 °C) and elevated (28 °C) growth temperatures.
Surprisingly, there have been few studies of the functional roles of peroxisomes in Drosophila and, until this study, none focused on the effects of peroxisome function on early development.
Nevertheless, this does not preclude mtDNA status affecting peroxisome function, through abundance and/or activity.
However, the interplay of the environment on peroxisomes in plants with compromised peroxisome function remains largely unexplored.
