Selective Degradation of Peroxisomes in the Methylotrophic Yeast Hansenula polymorpha

Peroxisomes are ubiquitous organelles, morphologically characterized by a single membrane that encloses a proteinaceous matrix. These organelles are inducible in nature, and their functional diversity is unprecedented. Their importance is probably best illustrated by the existence of peroxisomal diseases like Zellweger syndrome in man, which are associated with major neurological abnormalities sometimes resulting in an early death.