Biogenesis and turnover of peroxisomes involved in the concurrent oxidation of methanol and methylamine in Hansenula polymorpha

Abstract. Growth of Hansenulapolymorpha in shake flasks and chemostat cultures in the presence of methanol as the sole source of carbon and methylamine as the sole source of nitrogen was associated with the development of peroxisomes in the cells. The organelles were involved in the concurrent oxidation of these two compounds, ince they contained both alcohol oxidase and amine oxidase, which are key enzymes in methanol and methylamine metabolism, respectively. In ad-dition catalase was present. Peroxisomes with a completely crystalline substructure were observed in methanol-limited chemostat-grown cells. Amine oxidase probably formed an integral part of these crystalloids, whereas catalase was present in a freely diffusable form. Transfer of cells, grown in a methanol-limited chemostat in the presence of methylamine into glucose/ammonium sulphat