Microbodies from spirogyra: organelles of a filamentous alga similar to leaf peroxisomes.

Organelles from Spirogyra cells were separated on a linear sucrose gradient. After centrifugation, most of the protein was found in the top fraction. Two minor protein peaks at density (g/cm(3)) 1.17 and 1.21 were due to chloroplast particles and mitochondria, respectively. Although there was an extremely low concentration of protein at density 1.25 g/cm(3), a major part of the activity of glycolate oxidase was found in this region. The enzyme was able to transfer electrons to O(2) and only lost 12% of its activity in the presence of 1 mm cyanide. As documented by electron micrographs, microbodies moved to density 1.25 g/cm(3) during centrifugation. This observation, as well as the fact that high activities of hydroxypyruvate reductase and catalase were also found at the same density, suggest that the microbodies from Spirogyra are similar to those in green leaves of higher plants.