Microbody

A microbody is a cytoplasmic organelle of a more or less globular shape that comprises degradative enzymes bound within a single membrane. Microbodies are specialized as containers for metabolic activity.

Types

Types include peroxisomes, glyoxysomes,^[1] glycosomes and Woronin bodies.

Contents

Peroxisomes contain enzymes of β-oxidation (break down fats and produce Acetyl-CoA), as well as enzymes of many other important pathways like amino acid and bile acid metabolism, oxidation/detoxification of various harmful compounds in the liver (ex. alcohol).

Functions

Glyoxysomes are found in germinating seeds of plants as well as in filamentous fungi. Glyoxysomes are peroxisomes with additional function - glyoxylate cycle.

Glycosomes, besides peroxisomal enzymes, also possess glycolysis enzymes and are found in kinetoplastida like Trypanosomes.

Woronin bodies are special organelles found only in filamentous fungi. One established function of Woronin bodies is the plugging of the septal pores after hyphal wounding, which restricts the loss of cytoplasm to the sites of injury.^[2]

References

1. ^ MeSH Microbodies
2. ^ Managadze, D.; Würtz, C.; Sichting, M.; Niehaus, G.; Veenhuis, M.; Rottensteiner, H. (Jun 2007). "The peroxin PEX14 of Neurospora crassa is essential for the biogenesis of both glyoxysomes and Woronin bodies". Traffic (Copenhagen, Denmark) 8 (6): 687–701. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0854.2007.00560.x. ISSN 1398-9219. PMID 17461798.  edit