Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) may work in the processes of both physiological and toxicological response to various endogenous or exogenous substances. The literature on the study of functional activation of PPARα by environmental chemicals in relation to their toxicities were reviewed. Environmental chemicals that were found to induce peroxisomes (peroxisome proliferator...

Peroxisomes are intracellular organelles that house a number of diverse metabolic processes, notably those required for beta-oxidation of fatty acids. Peroxisomes biogenesis can be induced by the presence of peroxisome proliferators, including fatty acids, which activate complex cellular programs that underlie the induction process. Here, we used multi-parameter quantitative phenotype analyses ...

Zellweger spectrum disorders result from defects in the assembly of the peroxisome and are sometimes referred to as peroxisome biogenesis disorders. Orthopedic manifestations of this condition are variable. This case report illustrates an ambulatory child with Zellweger syndrome and progressive foot deformity. The course of treatment consisted of initial soft tissue surgery, early recurrence of...

Within the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis, VDAC2 controls both the localization and proapoptotic activity of BAK. In this issue, Hosoi et al. (2017. J. Cell Biol. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201605002) find that loss of VDAC2 diverts BAK into peroxisome membranes, revealing the ability of BAK to control peroxisome membrane integrity and the release of soluble peroxisomal matrix proteins.

Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP) is a genetically heterogeneous group of disorders, diagnosed by progressive gait disturbances with muscle weakness and spasticity, for which there are no treatments targeted at the underlying pathophysiology. Mutations in spastin are a common cause of HSP. Spastin is a microtubule-severing protein whose mutation in mouse causes defective axonal transport. In ...

We have analyzed the functions of two vacuolar t-SNAREs, Vam3p and Vam7p, in peroxisome degradation in the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha. A Hp-vam7 mutant was strongly affected in peroxisome degradation by selective macropexophagy as well as non-selective microautophagy. Deletion of Hp-Vam3p function had only a minor effect on peroxisome degradation processes. Both proteins were loc...

The structurally diverse peroxisome proliferators ciprofibrate, clofibrate, and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate [(EtHx)2 greater than Pht] increase the activities of hepatic catalase and peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation enzymes in conjunction with profound proliferation of peroxisomes in hepatocytes. In order to delineate the level at which these enzymes are induced in the liver, the transcrip...

Echinacea purpurea has been used in traditional medicine as a remedy for the treatment and prevention of upper respiratory tract infections and the common cold. Recent investigations have indicated that E. purpurea also has an effect on insulin resistance. A dichloromethane extract of E. purpurea roots was found to enhance glucose uptake in adipocytes and to activate peroxisome proliferator-act...

Peroxisomes are single-membrane bound organelles that are essential for normal development in plants and animals. In mammals and yeast, the peroxin (PEX) proteins PEX3 and PEX19 facilitate the early steps of peroxisome membrane protein (PMP) insertion and pre-peroxisome budding from the endoplasmic reticulum. The PEX3 membrane protein acts as a docking site for PEX19, a cytosolic chaperone for ...

The mechanism by which nongenotoxic peroxisome proliferators induce hepatocellular carcinomas in rats and mice remains intriguing. The available experimental evidence suggests that the proliferation of peroxisomes and induction of peroxisome-associated enzymes results in oxidative stress which then leads to tumorigenesis. However, so far no direct evidence for oxidative DNA damage in livers of ...