The peroxisomal compartment comprises an important part of eukaryotic cells. Once neglected, in the recent decades it has gained increasing attention, which has resulted in accumulation of tremendous amount of data. Nevertheless, numerous aspects of peroxisome function and biogenesis are still far from full understanding. Structural aspects of biogenesis are not fully explained. Moreover, new data may require rethinking of the existing models of peroxisome biogenesis. Both classical techniques (NMR, X-ray crystallography, Confocal Microscopy) as well as modern ones (Super-resolution Microscopy, Correlative Microscopy, cryoEM) provide opportunities to study peroxisome structure-function relationships in greater detail.
The scope of this Research Topic is to further deepen our knowledge on the structural aspects of peroxisome function and biogenesis, with particular focus on the following outstanding questions:
• Most of components of the peroxisomal translocon complex have been identified and a detailed model of peroxisomal matrix proteins import machinery has been formulated. However, the mechanistic description of these processes is still rudimentary. Various preliminary data suggest that competition/displacement event(s) between peroxins as well as between them and cargo proteins are important steps during import of peroxisomal matrix proteins. Some of these interactions are currently being investigated.
• The intrinsically disordered regions within peroxins seem crucial for their interactions with cargo proteins and other partners. Deeper insight into this matter is still required.
• The existence of contacts of peroxisomes with other organelles is well established, but the mechanisms of these phenomena are far from full understanding.
• There is a long-held paradigm postulating the ability of peroxisomal importomer/translocon complex to translocate multimeric proteins. However, the question of its functionality under physiological conditions still awaits answer.
• Peroxisomes are relatively small organelles and until recently were identified mostly statically, as dots. Modern microscopy techniques now allow the dissection of peroxisomal subcompartments and provide ways to investigate peroxisome dynamics in real time.
Specific themes to be addressed by the authors include, but are not limited to:
• Interactions of peroxisomes with other components of eukaryotic cells
• Interactions between peroxisome-related proteins
• Structures of peroxisomal proteins and protein complexes
• Identification of new proteins involved in peroxisome biogenesis
The Topic Editors may also consider manuscripts covering peroxisome related topics not listed above.
A full list of accepted article types, including descriptions, can be found at this
link.