Pexophagy: the selective autophagy of peroxisomes.
Pichia pastoris and Hansenula polymorpha are methylotrophic yeasts capable of utilizing methanol, as a sole source of carbon and energy. Growth of these yeast species on methanol requires the synthesis of cytosolic and peroxisomal enzymes combined with the proliferation of peroxisomes. Peroxisomes are also abundantly present in the alkane-utilizing yeast Yarrowia lipolytica upon growth of cells on oleic acid. This feature has made these yeast species attractive model systems to dissect the molecular mechanisms controlling peroxisome biogenesis. We have found that upon glucose- or ethanol-induced catabolite inactivation, metabolically superfluous peroxisomes are rapidly and selectively degraded within the vacuole by a process called pexophagy, the selective removal of peroxisomes by autophagy-like processes. Utilizing several genetic screens, we have identified a number of genes that are essential for pexophagy. In this review, we will summarize our current knowledge of the molecular events of pexophagy.
Dunn
William A
WA
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Cregg
James M
JM
Kiel
Jan A K W
JA
van der Klei
Ida J
IJ
Oku
Masahide
M
Sakai
Yasuyoshi
Y
Sibirny
Andrei A
AA
Stasyk
Oleh V
OV
Veenhuis
Marten
M
D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D008561:Membrane Fusion / Q000502:physiology; D000432:Methanol / Q000378:metabolism; D019301:Oleic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D020675:Peroxisomes / Q000502:physiology*; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000502:physiology; D010843:Pichia / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000502:physiology*; D025062:Yarrowia / Q000502:physiology
D005656:Fungal Proteins; D019301:Oleic Acid; D005947:Glucose; D000432:Methanol