Dynamin-related proteins in peroxisome division

Abstract

Peroxisomes are ubiquitous organelles in eukaryotes and essential to the survival of animals and plants. These organelles can be formed de novo in the endoplasmic reticulum and multiply through division. In the past two decades, advances have been made in elucidating the molecular mechanisms governing peroxisome division, using model organisms such as yeasts, mammalian cell lines, and plants. Studies have shown that members of the dynamin-related protein (DRP) superfamily are responsible for the fission step (and at least in some cases, membrane constriction as well) of peroxisome division, and most of these DRPs are shared with the mitochondrial fission machinery. This chapter summarizes current knowledge of the role of DRPs in peroxisomal division in various organisms, isolation of the DRP-based peroxisome division ring from the unicellular red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae, and DRP's organelle receptors and adaptors identified from different model systems. Regulation of DRP's activity through posttranslational modification mechanisms will also be briefly discussed, followed by some future questions to be addressed to further dissect mechanisms underlying DRP-mediated peroxisome division.