Entering a new era of research on plant peroxisomes

Peroxisomes are globular organelles, of approximately 1 mum in diameter, that are found ubiquitously in eukaryotic cells. In higher plants, peroxisomes have been believed to play a pivotal role in three metabolic pathways: lipid breakdown, photorespiration and H2O2-detoxificaton. However, recent progress using Arabidopsis mutants has suggested that peroxisomes have more diverse functions than are known at present. Extensive studies using genetic and post-genomic approaches will renovate our present understanding of the functions of peroxisomes in plants.