Interaction between peroxisomes and mitochondria in fatty acid metabolism

Abstract

Peroxisomes and mitochondria are ubiquitously found organelles. They both are dynamic structures able to divide, to fuse and to undergo autophagic processes. Their activities are dependent on proteins that are, for most (mitochondria) or all (peroxisome) of them, synthesized in the cytosol from the nuclear genome. Nevertheless, the membrane structures and the DNA content differ between these two organelles. Mito- chondria possess a small circular genome while per- oxisomes don’t. The control of their dynamic is de- pendent on specific factors even if some of those are able to affect both. These two organelles are metab- olically connected: they are both involved in lipid metabolism. They are both able to beta oxidize fatty acids and are implicated in ROS production. How- ever, their precise function in these metabolic path- ways and their physiological functions are different. While mitochondrial metabolism is closely related to energy production, peroxisome does not seem to be associated with energy production but with the pro- duction of bioactive molecules and in detoxification processes.