BIOGENESIS AND MEMBRANE-PROPERTIES OF PEROXISOMES - DOES THE BOUNDARYMEMBRANE SERVE AND PROTECT

Plant peroxisomes are extremely versatile organelles with the ability to respond to various developmental and metabolic cues. Evidence suppo rts disparate concepts for the service role of their single boundary m embrane. It may be a selective barrier that regulates matrix pathways, or it may be freely permeable to small molecules and use different ty pes of pores for metabolite shuttling and protein uptake, Also, in oil seed glyoxysomes, several integral membrane proteins have been implica ted in regeneration of NAD(+) and protection of the membrane from toxi c reactive oxygen species during postgerminative seedling growth.