glyoxysome

GO:0009514 · Membrane organelle · Membrane bounded organelle · Proposed

A specialized form of peroxisome that contains the enzymes of the glyoxylate pathway. The glyoxysome is found in some plant cells, notably the cells of germinating seeds. [GO:0009514]

Has part: glyoxysomal membrane (GO:0046861); glyoxysomal lumen (GO:0031908)

Xrefs: uniprot.location:SL-0131 — Glyoxysome

UniProt location names: UniProt Consortium, CC BY 4.0. Reference label and route sources.

Components

Component	Type	Part of / acts on	Grounding	Genes	Stoichiometry	Essential	Role
glyoxysomal membrane	Lipid	part of	`GO:0046861`			ESSENTIAL	Lipid bilayer that surrounds the glyoxysome and bounds the glyoxysomal lumen. `GO:0046861` GO:0046861 defines the glyoxysomal membrane as the lipid bilayer surrounding a glyoxysome. `uniprot.location:SL-0130` — Glyoxysome membrane UniProt Subcellular Location entry SL-0130 maps Glyoxysome membrane to GO:0046861.

Taxonomic distribution

NCBITaxon:5141 Neurospora crassa — COMMON: Neurospora crassa forms acetate-induced glyoxysomes that carry glyoxylate-cycle enzymes and can be distinguished from catalase-containing microbodies. [DOI:10.1007/BF00309930]

Canonical examples

NCBITaxon:5141 Neurospora crassa — Filamentous-fungal model used to test glyoxysomal matrix-protein targeting under acetate-induced growth conditions. [DOI:10.1007/BF00309930]

Functions

glyoxylate cycle GO:0006097 — Glyoxysomes compartmentalize the glyoxylate cycle in their lumenal matrix.
- GO:0009514 GO:0009514 defines glyoxysomes as peroxisome specializations that contain glyoxylate-pathway enzymes.
- DOI:10.1007/BF00309930 de Zoysa and Connerton 1994 observed acetate-induced Neurospora crassa glyoxysomes carrying glyoxylate-cycle enzymes.

Mechanism graphs

Glyoxysomes compartmentalize the glyoxylate cycle (FUNCTION)

The glyoxysomal membrane bounds a lumenal matrix that contains glyoxylate-cycle enzymes.

Subject	Predicate	Object	Evidence
glyoxysomal membrane	bounds	glyoxysome	`GO:0046861` GO:0046861 defines the glyoxysomal membrane as the surrounding glyoxysome bilayer.
glyoxysomal lumen	is part of	glyoxysome	`GO:0031908` GO:0031908 defines the glyoxysomal lumen as the volume enclosed by glyoxysome membranes. `uniprot.location:SL-0333` — Glyoxysome matrix UniProt maps the Glyoxysome matrix location to GO:0031908 and places it under Glyoxysome.
glyoxysome	supports	glyoxylate cycle	`GO:0009514` GO:0009514 defines glyoxysomes by their glyoxylate-pathway enzyme content. `DOI:10.1007/BF00309930` de Zoysa and Connerton 1994 treated the Neurospora crassa glyoxysome as a specialized acetate-induced organelle carrying glyoxylate-cycle enzymes.

Discussions

CURATION_TODO (RESOLVED): Decide whether individual glyoxylate-cycle enzymes belong in the glyoxysome component table. Isocitrate lyase, malate synthase and related glyoxylate-cycle enzymes are matrix cargo rather than structural constituents of the glyoxysome membrane-bounded compartment.

Evidence

GO:0009514 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for glyoxysome.
GO:0046861 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for glyoxysomal membrane.
GO:0031908 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for glyoxysomal lumen.
GO:0006097 Gene Ontology biological-process term for the glyoxylate cycle.
uniprot.location:SL-0131 — Glyoxysome UniProt Subcellular Location entry SL-0131 maps Glyoxysome to GO:0009514.
uniprot.location:SL-0130 — Glyoxysome membrane UniProt Subcellular Location entry SL-0130 maps Glyoxysome membrane to GO:0046861.
uniprot.location:SL-0333 — Glyoxysome matrix UniProt Subcellular Location entry SL-0333 maps Glyoxysome matrix to GO:0031908.
DOI:10.1007/BF00309930 de Zoysa and Connerton 1994, The function and specificity of the C-terminal tripeptide glyoxysomal targeting signal in Neurospora crassa, Current Genetics.

Curation history

2026-09-12T16:00:37Z codex · CREATED_RECORD — Scaffolded by scripts/new_record.py
2026-09-12T16:02:10Z codex · EXPANDED_RECORD — Added peroxisome parentage, exact glyoxysomal membrane and lumen parts, the UniProt Subcellular Location xref, a glyoxysomal membrane component, Neurospora crassa scope, a glyoxylate-cycle function, a nonmechanistic glyoxysome topology graph, and a matrix-enzyme boundary clarification.
2026-09-12T16:07:42Z codex · ADDRESS_REVIEW — Addressed PR #670 review issues #671 and #672 by removing the unused van der Klei and Veenhuis review reference and normalizing the de Zoysa and Connerton canonical-example reference to DOI:10.1007/BF00309930.

Source: data/structures/membrane_organelle/glyoxysome.yaml