peroxisomal membrane

GO:0005778 · Membrane organelle · Membrane · Proposed

The lipid bilayer surrounding a peroxisome. [GO:0005778]

Synonyms: peroxisome membrane

Part of: peroxisome (GO:0005777)

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
peroxisomal lipid bilayer	Lipid	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)			ESSENTIAL	Lipid bilayer that surrounds the peroxisome and separates the peroxisomal matrix from the cytosol. `GO:0005778` GO:0005778 defines the peroxisomal membrane as the lipid bilayer surrounding a peroxisome. `DOI:10.1038/nrm3700` Smith and Aitchison 2013 review peroxisomes as single-membrane organelles with membrane growth and division.

Taxonomic distribution

NCBITaxon:4932 Saccharomyces cerevisiae — COMMON: Saccharomyces cerevisiae peroxisomes are bounded by a peroxisomal membrane that supports membrane growth, division, and matrix-protein import. [DOI:10.1016/j.bbamcr.2015.09.008]

Canonical examples

NCBITaxon:4932 Saccharomyces cerevisiae — Budding-yeast model for peroxisome membrane biogenesis and import of folded matrix proteins across the peroxisomal membrane. [DOI:10.1016/j.bbamcr.2015.09.008]

Functions

peroxisomal matrix boundary — The peroxisomal membrane encloses the peroxisomal matrix and separates matrix-localized metabolism from the cytosol.
- GO:0005778 GO:0005778 identifies the lipid bilayer surrounding a peroxisome.
- GO:0005782 GO:0005782 identifies the peroxisomal matrix as the volume contained within peroxisome membranes.
peroxisomal matrix protein import platform — The peroxisomal membrane hosts membrane-associated peroxin docking and translocation factors that help import nuclear-encoded matrix proteins into the organelle.
- DOI:10.1038/nrm3700 Smith and Aitchison 2013 review peroxisomal targeting and matrix-protein import through peroxisomal membrane machinery.
- DOI:10.1016/j.bbamcr.2015.09.008 Yuan, Veenhuis and van der Klei 2016 review yeast peroxisome membrane biogenesis and matrix-protein import.

Mechanism graphs

Peroxisomal membrane bounds the matrix import compartment (FUNCTION)

The peroxisomal membrane surrounds the organelle, encloses the matrix, and hosts membrane-associated peroxin docking factors that help import PTS-containing matrix proteins.

Subject	Predicate	Object	Evidence
peroxisomal membrane	is part of	peroxisome	`GO:0005778` GO:0005778 identifies the peroxisomal membrane as the lipid bilayer surrounding a peroxisome.
peroxisomal matrix	is enclosed by	peroxisomal membrane	`GO:0005782` GO:0005782 identifies the matrix as the volume contained within peroxisome membranes. `GO:0005778` GO:0005778 identifies the peroxisome-bounding membrane.
membrane-associated peroxin docking machinery	resides in	peroxisomal membrane	`DOI:10.1038/nrm3700` Smith and Aitchison 2013 review peroxisomal matrix-protein import at membrane docking and translocation steps. `DOI:10.1016/j.bbamcr.2015.09.008` Yuan, Veenhuis and van der Klei 2016 review yeast peroxisome membrane biogenesis and protein import.
membrane-associated peroxin docking machinery	supports	peroxisomal matrix protein import	`DOI:10.1038/nrm3700` Smith and Aitchison 2013 review the peroxisomal targeting signal pathways for matrix-protein import.

Discussions

CURATION_TODO (OPEN): Resolve exact source-neutral identifiers for the generic peroxisomal membrane lipid constituent and for membrane-associated peroxisomal import complexes. The record is exactly grounded to GO:0005778, but no exact lipid or membrane-associated PEX docking/translocation complex CURIE was curated for the membrane constituent or the import-machinery cohort.

Evidence

GO:0005778 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for peroxisomal membrane.
GO:0031903 Gene Ontology cellular-component parent term for microbody membrane.
GO:0005777 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the containing peroxisome.
GO:0005782 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the peroxisomal matrix bounded by the peroxisomal membrane.
DOI:10.1038/nrm3700 Smith and Aitchison 2013, Peroxisomes take shape, Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology.
DOI:10.1016/j.bbamcr.2015.09.008 Yuan, Veenhuis and van der Klei 2016, The birth of yeast peroxisomes, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Cell Research.

Curation history

2026-09-15T04:35:45Z codex · CREATED_RECORD — Scaffolded by scripts/new_record.py
2026-09-15T04:36:31Z codex · EXPANDED_RECORD — Added exact GO synonymy, microbody-membrane parentage, peroxisome parthood, a label-only lipid-bilayer component, Saccharomyces scope, boundary and matrix-import functions, GO/DOI evidence, a nonmechanistic peroxisomal-membrane import graph, and a lipid/PEX grounding TODO.
2026-09-15T04:48:06Z codex · REVIEW_FIX — Addressed review issues #929 and #930 by replacing lumenal wording with peroxisomal matrix wording and narrowing the membrane-localized peroxin graph node to membrane-associated docking and translocation factors.

Source: data/structures/membrane_organelle/peroxisomal_membrane.yaml