Phytochrome-mediated transformation of glyoxysomes into peroxisomes in the cotyledons of mustard (Sinapis alba L.) seedlings.

The specific changes in the temporal pattern of glyoxysomal and peroxisomal enzymes in dark-grown and continuously far-red irradiated mustard seedlings are accompanied by specific changes in the spatial associations of microbodies with other cell organelles which can be quantitatively estimated from electron micrographs. The association (surface contact) with oleosomes (lipid bodies) and with plastids have been used as operational criteria for the glyoxysomal and peroxisomal engagement, respectively, of individual microbodies. The time course of these specific associations during the phytochrome-mediated changeover from glyoxysomal to peroxisomal character reveals the transient formation of functionally intermediary microbodies ("glyoxyperoxisomes") which are associated to oleosomes as well as to plastids. In continuous far-red light, up to 50% of the microbody profiles detectable on electron micrographs fall into this category, compared to about 10% in darkness. It is concluded that peroxisomes of cotyledons neither originate de novo as an independent population nor are formed from pre-existing glyoxysomes by repackaging of enzymes. We suggest rather that a transition from glyoxysomal to peroxisomal enzyme formation in the presence of continuous turnover of microbody particles leads to a gradual replacement of microbodies of glyoxysomal character by microbodies of intermediary character and ultimately by microbodies of peroxisomal character.