Pseudo half-molecules of the ABC transporter, COMATOSE, bind Pex19 and target to peroxisomes independently but are both required for activity.

Peroxisomal ABC transporters of animals and fungi are "half-size" proteins which dimerise to form a functional transporter. However, peroxisomal ABC transporters of land plants are synthesised as a single polypeptide which represents a fused heterodimer. The N- and C-terminal pseudo-halves of COMATOSE (CTS; AtABCD1) were expressed as separate polypeptides which bound Pex19 in vitro and targeted independently to the peroxisome membrane in yeast, where they were stable but not functional. When co-expressed, the pseudo-halves were fully functional as indicated by ATPase activity and rescue of the pxa1pxa2Δ mutant for growth on oleate. The functional significance of heterodimer asymmetry is discussed.

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