Peroxisomes in Nonmammalian Animal Tissues

Abstract

Hepatic and renal peroxisomes have been studied in the developing chicken (Essner 1970). Peroxisomes with needle- or diamond-shaped crystalloids (so-called avian type) have been seen in hepatocytes at all stages of development, but most frequently at the time of hatching (Stephens and Bils 1967). Peroxisomes with crystalloids are relatively rare in hepatocytes of adult animals. Only microbodies devoid of cores have been observed by Afzelius (1965) and Shnitka (1966). Peroxisomes with crystalloids, as well as those devoid of cores, are stained by the cytochemical catalase reaction (Essner 1970). In kidney tissue peroxisomes are frequently seen in the proximal convolute, whereas they are absent in epithelia of the distal convolute. The number of kidney peroxisomes that contain a crystalloid increases during development and reaches a maximum in adult animals.