Peroxisomes and Cellular Oxidant/Antioxidant Balance: Protein Redox Modifications and Impact on Inter-organelle Communication

Abstract

Disturbances in cellular redox balance have been associated with pro-aging mechanisms and increased risk for various chronic disease states. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that peroxisomes are central players in cellular redox metabolism. Nevertheless, the potential role of this organelle as intracellular redox signaling platform has been largely overlooked for a long time. Fortunately, this situation is now changing. This review provides a snapshot of the current progress in the field, with an emphasis on the situation in mammals. We first briefly introduce the basics of redox biology and how reactive oxygen and nitrogen species can drive cellular signaling events. Next, we discuss current evidence linking peroxisome (dys)function to redox signaling, both in health and disease. We also highlight what is currently known about the downstream targets of peroxisome-derived oxidants. In addition, we present an extensive list of proteins that are involved in peroxisome functioning and have been identified as being responsive to oxidative stress in large scale redox proteomics studies. Finally, we address how changes in peroxisomal redox state may impact on functional mechanisms underlying inter-organelle communication. Gaining more insight into these mechanisms is key to our understanding of how peroxisomes are embedded in cellular signaling networks implicated in aging and diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders.

Keywords: Catalase; Gene expression; Hydrogen peroxide; Mitochondria; Oxidative modifications; Peroxisomes; Redox balance; Redox signaling.