Abstract
Peroxisomes are single membrane-bound organelles that are ubiquitously found in eukaryotic cells. In higher plants, peroxisomes have pivotal roles in fatty acid degradation, photorespiration and phytohormone biosynthesis. All peroxisomal proteins are encoded in the nuclear genome and are transported to peroxisomes after protein synthesis in the cytosol. The functions of peroxisomes are plastically controlled under environmental changes. However, precise machineries have not been clarified. To identify the factors required for peroxisomal morphology, we have screened the aberrant peroxisome morphology (apm) mutants, in which peroxisomes display abnormal phenotypes. APM1, APM2 and APM4 have been already identified as Dynamin-related-protein 3A, Peroxin13 and Peroxin12, respectively. In this presentation, we will report characterization of another apm mutant, apm9.