The effect of temperature on glycollate decarboxylation in leaf peroxisomes.

[1-(14)C]glycollate was oxidised to(14)CO2 by peroxisomes isolated from leaves of spinach beet about 3 times as rapidly at 35°C as at 25°C; the rate was further increased with rise in temperature to a maximum at 55°C. These increases are shown to be mainly due to the increased H2O2 available to oxidise glyoxylate non-enzymically as a result of the higher temperature coefficient of glycollate oxidase activity relative to that of catalase. These results are compared with similar increases in the rate of(14)CO2 release between 25°C and 35°C when [1-(14)C]glycollate was supplied to leaf discs in light or darkness. The role of these reactions in accounting for the temperature effect on the release of photorespiratory CO2 is discussed.