Cited by 195Metabolism and Genetic DisordersLysosomal Storage Disorders ResearchNeurological diseases and metabolism

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 344 of the 352 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 233 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

Peroxisomes in brain development and function

Open access
Berger, Johannes, Dorninger, Fabian, Forss-Petter, Sonja, Kunze, Markus·2016·Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Cell Research

Abstract

Peroxisomes contain numerous enzymatic activities that are important for mammalian physiology. Patients lacking either all peroxisomal functions or a single enzyme or transporter function typically develop severe neurological deficits, which originate from aberrant development of the brain, demyelination and loss of axonal integrity, neuroinflammation or other neurodegenerative processes. Whilst correlating peroxisomal properties with a compilation of pathologies observed in human patients and mouse models lacking all or individual peroxisomal functions, we discuss the importance of peroxisomal metabolites and tissue- and cell type-specific contributions to the observed brain pathologies. This enables us to deconstruct the local and systemic contribution of individual metabolic pathways to specific brain functions. We also review the recently discovered variability of pathological symptoms in cases with unexpectedly mild presentation of peroxisome biogenesis disorders. Finally, we explore the emerging evidence linking peroxisomes to more common neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, autism and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This review synthesizes how peroxisomal metabolic pathways contribute to brain development and function, using inherited peroxisomal disorders and mouse models to link specific pathways to neuronal migration, myelination, axonal integrity, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration. It also discusses emerging evidence connecting peroxisomes to more common neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, autism, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and schizophrenia.

Key findings

  • Peroxisome biogenesis disorders (PBD) and single peroxisomal enzyme/transporter deficiencies cause major brain pathology grouped into neuronal migration/differentiation defects, white matter formation/maintenance defects, and post-developmental neuronal degeneration. Zellweger syndrome features cortical malformations such as centrosylvian pachygyria and polymicrogyria, heterotopic Purkinje cells, and white matter abnormalities; in a study of 19 patients aged 16–35 years with mild Zellweger spectrum disorder, MRI showed white matter abnormalities in 9 patients, restricted to the cerebellar hilus of the dentate nucleus and/or peridentate region.
  • Cell-type-specific mouse studies indicate that in the murine brain peroxisomes are most crucial for oligodendrocytes and the myelin compartment: oligodendrocyte-selective Pex5 knockout caused progressive subcortical demyelination, axonal degeneration, neuroinflammation, impaired motor function, and premature death starting at 2–6 months, whereas Pex5 deletion in projection neurons or astrocytes had no obvious deleterious effect on brain development or function despite VLCFA accumulation and reduced plasmalogen levels in astrocytes.
  • X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is the most common peroxisomal disorder, with estimated combined male and female incidence between 1:16,800 and 1:30,000; about 60% of male X-ALD patients develop cerebral ALD, and adrenal insufficiency affects 80% of male patients before adulthood. ABCD1 deficiency causes VLCFA accumulation, AMN with distal dying-back axonopathy, and in CALD an inflammatory demyelinating process with blood–brain barrier permeability, macrophage/T-cell infiltration, and loss of oligodendrocytes.
  • Ether phospholipid deficiency in RCDP causes rhizomelia, chondrodysplasia punctata, cataracts, growth/developmental retardation, variable brain involvement including white matter abnormalities, delayed myelination, cerebellar atrophy with Purkinje cell loss, and peripheral neuropathy; RCDP incidence is estimated at about 1:100,000. Peroxisomal links are also reported for autism (PEX7 mutations, reduced plasmalogens), Alzheimer’s disease (plasmalogen depletion, altered VLCFA, catalase, DHA, peroxisome distribution), ALS (DAO mutation, D-serine), and schizophrenia (DAO activity, D-serine/NMDA signaling).

Methods

  • Narrative review of mammalian peroxisomal functions in the nervous system, focusing on human physiology/pathophysiology supplemented by mouse models.
  • Evidence base includes human inherited peroxisomal disorders (PBD, X-ALD, Refsum disease, RCDP, single enzyme/transporter deficiencies) and genetically engineered mouse models, including global and conditional Pex knockouts, Acox1−/−, Mfp2−/−, Abcd1−/−, Phyh−/−, and ether lipid-deficient models.
  • Main analysis is qualitative synthesis comparing biochemical, neuropathological, imaging, and cell-type-specific findings across disorders and models; no systematic review, meta-analysis, or new primary data are reported.

Limitations

  • The paper states that many studies examined the presence/abundance of a single peroxisomal protein, thus possibly detecting only a subset of peroxisome-positive cells, so different investigations must be combined to infer accurate distribution and abundance.
  • The paper states that peroxisome-related metabolite levels in plasma may not reflect tissue accumulation, and that some mild PBD patients can have normal plasma VLCFA or plasmalogen levels, limiting diagnostic and pathophysiological interpretation.
  • The paper notes that mouse models differ from human disease—for example, Abcd1-deficient mice do not develop brain inflammation/demyelination as in CALD, and Mfp2-deficient mice differ markedly from human DBP deficiency—so mechanisms and phenotypes cannot always be directly translated. As an evident limitation, this is a narrative review without systematic search or quantitative synthesis.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2015.12.005

Cites

344 of 344 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

0 of 233 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged

Show all 105 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 72
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 10
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 2
81 of 81
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Observations in mouse models of peroxisomal disorders are informative about human brain development and function.

    “with a specific focus on human physiology and pathophysiology supplemented by observations made in various mouse models”
    “genetically engineered mouse models with tissue- or cell type-specific inactivation of peroxisome biogenesis demonstrate the importance of peroxisomes for the different brain cell types”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The brain pathologies observed in inherited peroxisomal disorders reveal the normal functions of peroxisomes in brain development and maintenance.

    “correlating peroxisomal properties with a compilation of pathologies observed in human patients and mouse models lacking all or individual peroxisomal functions”
    “the observed pathology cannot be attributed to individual peroxisomal metabolic pathways but rather reflects the importance of the entire organelle for brain development and maintenance”
2 of 2

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

  • Cerebral ALD percentages total 70%, not 60%

    Minor

    The stated childhood and later-onset shares of male X-ALD patients add to 70%, whereas the paragraph says about 60% develop cerebral ALD.

    Reported 60 · recomputed 70

1 of 1

Citations

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Show all 352 references

8 of the 352 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Nave, 2006, Oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells support axon function and survival independent of their role in myelination: implications for multiple sclerosis, J. Neuroimmunol., 178, 36-36

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Items 101–195 of 195

Metadata

Authors
Berger, J., Dorninger, F., Forss-Petter, S., & Kunze, M.
Affiliations
Medical University of Vienna (AT)
Corresponding author
Berger, Johannes
Venue
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Cell Research
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-05
Volume
1863
Issue
5
Pages
934-955
ISSN
0167-4889 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2194234530
Cited by
194
References
352
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 9
FWCI
11.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Cell Research (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Austrian Science Fund (FWF) (P26112-B19,, P24843-B24, I2738-B26)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Clinical Biochemistry › Metabolism and Genetic Disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Genetics (clinical) › Lysosomal Storage Disorders Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neurological diseases and metabolism
Keywords
peroxisomes, peroxisome biogenesis disorders, brain development, demyelination, axonal integrity, neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, Alzheimer's disease, autism spectrum disorder, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, neurological disorders
MeSH terms
ATPases Associated with Diverse Cellular Activities, Animals, Brain, Disease Models, Animal, Gene Expression Regulation, Humans, Membrane Proteins, Mutation, Synaptic Transmission, Peroxisomal Disorders, Protein Isoforms, Peroxisomes, Protein Transport, Mice, Metabolic Networks and Pathways

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-10-10, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).

A second model labelled each claim on 2026-10-10 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review