Emerging roles of mitochondria in the evolution, biogenesis, and function of peroxisomes

Abstract

In the last century peroxisomes were thought to have an endosymbiotic origin. Along with mitochondria and chloroplasts, peroxisomes primarily regulate their numbers through the growth and division of pre-existing organelles, and they house specific machinery for protein import. These features were considered unique to endosymbiotic organelles, prompting the idea that peroxisomes were key cellular elements that helped facilitate the evolution of multicellular organisms. The functional similarities to mitochondria within mammalian systems expanded these ideas, as both organelles scavenge peroxide and reactive oxygen species, both organelles oxidize fatty acids, and at least in higher eukaryotes, the biogenesis of both organelles is controlled by common nuclear transcription factors of the PPAR family. Over the last decade it has been demonstrated that the fission machinery of both organelles is also shared, and that both organelles act as critical signaling platforms for innate immunity and other pathways. Taken together it is clear that the mitochondria and peroxisomes are functionally coupled, regulating cellular metabolism and signaling through a number of common mechanisms. However, recent work has focused primarily on the role of the ER in the biogenesis of peroxisomes, potentially overshadowing the critical importance of the mitochondria as a functional partner. In this review, we explore the mechanisms of functional coupling of the peroxisomes to the mitochondria/ER networks, providing some new perspectives on the potential contribution of the mitochondria to peroxisomal biogenesis.

Evolution of peroxisomes illustrates symbiogenesis

“…Work by Schrader et al shows that mitochondria and peroxisomes also share many fission machinery components [43,44]. Contacts between mitochondrial derived vesicles and peroxisomes are getting more and more attention [36,45]. However, though such contacts are proof for metabolic cooperation, they are only consistent with the model to explain peroxisomal evolution presented in [8], that is discussed here.…”

Pex35 is a regulator of peroxisome abundance

“…Rather, genes controlling mitochondrial function or localization were dramatically enriched. Among the top 130 mutants with enlarged peroxisomes, 80 were mitochondrial proteins (five-fold enrichment, P-value=2×10 −31 ) (Eden et al, 2009), confirming a tight connection between peroxisomes and mitochondria (Cohen et al, 2014;Mohanty and McBride, 2013;Schrader et al, 2013;Thoms et al, 2009). Indeed it is known that when mitochondrial metabolism is compromised, cells can compensate by upregulating peroxisome metabolism and size (Eisenberg-Bord and Schuldiner, 2016).…”

Molecular Mechanisms and Physiological Significance of Organelle Interactions and Cooperation

“…The increased subcellular ROS also has an effect on the ER and increases organelle proximity and interactivity. The close proximity possibly facilitates exchange of membranes proteins perhaps in a MDV mediated manner (Braschi et al, 2010;Mohanty and McBride, 2013). Increased availability of membranes and specific PMPs allows peroxules to attain a particular diameter that facilitates the recruitment of cytosol localized fission proteins such as DRP3A/B that might have been released following mitochondrial fission (Roux et al, 2010;Mears et al, 2011).…”

“…Recent research involving mitochondria derived vesicles (MDVs) suggests interesting possibilities involving mitochondria and peroxisomes Andrade-Navarro et al, 2009;Braschi et al, 2010;Mohanty and McBride, 2013). Schematic depictions suggest that transfer of mitochondrial matrix and inter-membrane metabolites or proteins might involve mitochondrial extensions that can increase both surface area and/or physical contact with peroxisomes ( Figure 1 in Schumann and Subramani, 2008).…”