What is the major function of peroxisomes?
Peroxisomes are ubiquitous single-membrane organelles present in most eukaryotes central to lipid metabolism, ROS balance, and signaling. Their hallmark metabolic function is beta-oxidation of very-long-chain fatty acids longer than 22 carbons, branched-chain fatty acids like phytanic acid requiring alpha-oxidation first, and polyunsaturated fatty acids that mitochondria cannot handle efficiently due to double bond positions. Unlike mitochondrial beta-oxidation coupled to electron transfer flavoprotein and respiratory chain to produce ATP, peroxisomal acyl-CoA oxidases, ACOX1, ACOX2, ACOX3, tr
Ref: Wanders & Waterham, Annual Review of Biochemistry 2016: Peroxisome Biogenesis and Fatty Acid Beta-Oxidation.
