Molecular cloning,sequencing and sequence analysis of the fox-2 gene of Neurospora crassa encoding the multifunctional β-oxidation protein

We present the molecular cloning and sequencing of genomic and cDNA clones of the fox-2 gene of Neurospora crassa, encoding the multifunctional β-oxidation protein (MFP). The coding region of the fox-2 gene is interrupted by three introns, one of which appears to be inefficiently spliced out. The encoded protein comprises 894 amino acid residues and exhibits 45% and 47% sequence identity with the MFPs of Candida tropicalis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, respectively. Sequence analysis identifies three regions of the fungal MFPs that are highly conserved. These regions are separated by two segments that resemble linkers between domains of other MFPs, suggesting a three-domain structure. The first and second conserved regions of each MFP are homologous to each other and to members of the short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase family. We discuss these homologies in view of recent findings that fungal MFPs contain enoyl-CoA hydratase 2 and d-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase activities, converting trans-2-enoyl-CoA via d-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA to 3-ketoacyl-CoA. In contrast to its counterparts in yeasts, the Neurospora MFP does not have a C-terminal sequence resembling the SKL motif involved in protein targeting to microbodies.     

The Arabidopsis thaliana multifunctional protein gene (MFP2) of peroxisomal beta-oxidation is essential for seedling establishment

The multifunctional protein (MFP) of peroxisomal beta-oxidation catalyses four separate reactions, two of which (2-trans enoyl-CoA hydratase and L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase) are core activities required for the catabolism of all fatty acids. We have isolated and characterized five Arabidopsis thaliana mutants in the MFP2 gene that is expressed predominantly in germinating seeds. Seedlings of mfp2 require an exogenous supply of sucrose for seedling establishment to occur. Analysis of mfp2-1 seedlings revealed that seed storage lipid was catabolized more slowly, long-chain acyl-CoA substrates accumulated and there was an increase in peroxisome size. Despite a reduction in the rate of beta-oxidation, mfp2 seedlings are not resistant to the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxybutyric acid, which is catabolized to the auxin 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid by beta-oxidation. Acyl-CoA feeding experiments show that the MFP2 2-trans enoyl-CoA hydratase only exhibits activity against long chain (C18:0) substrates, whereas the MFP2 L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase is active on C6:0, C12:0 and C18:0 substrates. A mutation in the abnormal inflorescence meristem gene AIM1, the only homologue of MFP2, results in an abnormal inflorescence meristem phenotype in mature plants (Richmond and Bleecker, Plant Cell 11, 1999, 1911) demonstrating that the role of these genes is very different. The mfp2-1 aim1double mutant aborted during the early stages of embryo development showing that these two proteins share a common function that is essential for this key stage in the life cycle.     

Substrate specificities of peroxisomal members of short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase superfamily: expression and characterization of dehydrogenase part of Candida tropicalis multifunctional enzyme

In addition to several other enzymes, the short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase superfamily includes a group of peroxisomal multifunctional enzymes involved in fatty acid and cholesterol side-chain beta-oxidation. Mammalian peroxisomal multifunctional enzyme type 2 (perMFE-2) is a 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase-2/(R)-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase. As has been shown previously, perMFE-2 hydrates (24E)-3alpha,7alpha, 12alpha-trihydroxy-5beta-cholest-24-enoyl-CoA to (24R, 25R)-3alpha, 7alpha,12alpha,24xi-tetrahydroxy-5beta-choles tanoyl-CoA, which has been characterized as a physiological intermediate in cholic acid synthesis. Out of four possible stereoisomers of 3alpha,7alpha, 12alpha,24xi-tetrahydroxy-5beta-cholestanoyl-CoA , the mammalian perMFE-2 dehydrogenates only the (24R,25R)-isomer. The yeast peroxisomal multifunctional enzyme (MFE) was first described as 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase-2/(R)-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase. To investigate the stereospecificity of yeast peroxisomal MFE, the two dehydrogenase domains of C. tropicalis MFE were expressed in E. coli as a 65 kDa recombinant protein. This protein catalyzes the dehydrogenation of straight-chain (R)-3-hydroxyacyl-CoAs, but it is devoid of (S)-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase and 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase activities. The protein dehydrogenates (24R,25R)- and (24R, 25S)-isomers of 3alpha,7alpha, 12alpha, 24xi-tetrahydroxy-5beta-cholestanoyl-CoA. Interestingly, the protein also shows 17beta-estradiol dehydrogenase activity.As a monofunctional (R)-specific 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase is currently unavailable, this recombinant enzyme can be used to study the stereochemistry of bile acid synthesis.     

Expression and purification of His-tagged rat mitochondrial short-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase wild-type and Ser137 mutant proteins

Mitochondrial 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase is a key enzyme in the beta-oxidation of fatty acids. The deficiency of this enzyme in patients has been previously reported. We cloned the gene of rat mitochondrial 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase in a bacterial expression vector pLM1 with six continuous histidine codons attached to the 5' of the gene. The cloned gene was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and the soluble protein was purified with a nickel HiTrap chelating metal affinity column to apparent homogeneity. The specific activity of the purified His-tagged rat mitochondrial 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase was 452 U/mg. Ser137 is a highly conserved amino acid, which, it has been suggested, is an important residue because of its proximity to the modeled L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA substrate in the crystal structure of 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase. We constructed three mutant expression plasmids of the enzyme using site-directed mutagenesis. Mutant proteins were overexpressed in E. coli and purified with a nickel metal affinity column. Kinetic studies of wild-type and mutant proteins were carried out, and the result confirmed that Ser137 is a very important residue of rat mitochondrial 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase. Our overexpression in E. coli and one-step purification of the highly active rat mitochondrial 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase greatly facilitated our further investigation of this enzyme, and our result from site-directed mutagenesis increased our understanding of 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase.     

Induction of enzymes involved in fatty acid beta-oxidation in Pseudomonas fragi B-0771 cells grown in media supplemented with fatty acid.

Induction of the enzymes involved in fatty acid beta-oxidation in Pseudomonas fragi B-0771 cells grown in a medium containing straight chain saturated fatty acids was studied. The acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ACDH) activity was induced during the exponential phase in cells grown in palmitic acid-supplemented medium, reached a maximum at the early stationary phase, and then gradually decreased thereafter. Changes in the overall activities of 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, both existing on the multienzyme complex (HDT) involved in fatty acid beta-oxidation, were similar to that in ACDH activity. Straight chain saturated fatty acids having more than 6 carbon atoms could induce both the ACDH and HDT activities, and C13-C15 fatty acids caused the greatest induction of both activities. Changes in the overall activities of 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase correlated with that in the amount of the alpha-subunit of HDT during the entire culture period in the medium containing palmitic acid. Surprisingly, the stoichiometry of the alpha- and beta-subunit proteins of HDT was not maintained into the stationary phase culture, though the genes encoding the alpha- and beta-subunits are tandemly coded in bacterial genomic DNA.     

The multifunctional protein AtMFP2 is co-ordinately expressed with other genes of fatty acid beta-oxidation during seed germination in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh

In germinating oilseeds peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation is responsible for the mobilization of storage lipids. This pathway also occurs in other tissues where it has a variety of additional physiological functions. The central enzymatic steps of peroxisomal beta-oxidation are performed by acyl-CoA oxidase (ACOX), the multifunctional protein (MFP) and 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase (thiolase). In order to investigate the function and regulation of beta-oxidation in plants it is first necessary to identify and characterize genes encoding the relevant enzymes in a single model species. Recently we and others have reported on the cloning and characterization of genes encoding four ACOXs and a thiolase from the oilseed Arabidopsis thaliana. Here we identify a gene encoding an Arabidopsis MFP (AtMFP2) that is induced transiently during germination. The pattern of AtMFP2 expression closely reflects changes in the activities of 2-trans-enoyl-CoA hydratase and L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase. Similar patterns of expression have previously been reported for ACOX and thiolase genes. We conclude that genes encoding the three main proteins responsible for beta-oxidation are co-ordinately expressed during oilseed germination and may share a common mechanism of regulation.     

Modification of the monomer composition of polyhydroxyalkanoate synthesized in Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing variants of the beta-oxidation-associated multifunctional enzyme

Expression by Saccharomyces cerevisiae of a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase modified at the carboxy end by the addition of a peroxisome targeting signal derived from the last 34 amino acids of the Brassica napus isocitrate lyase (ICL) and containing the terminal tripeptide Ser-Arg-Met resulted in the synthesis of PHA. The ability of the terminal peptide Ser-Arg-Met and of the 34-amino-acid peptide from the B. napus ICL to target foreign proteins to the peroxisome of S. cerevisiae was demonstrated with green fluorescent protein fusions. PHA synthesis was found to be dependent on the presence of both the enzymes generating the beta-oxidation intermediate 3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A (3-hydroxyacyl-[CoA]) and the peroxin-encoding PEX5 gene, demonstrating the requirement for a functional peroxisome and a beta-oxidation cycle for PHA synthesis. Using a variant of the S. cerevisiae beta-oxidation multifunctional enzyme with a mutation inactivating the B domain of the R-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, it was possible to modify the PHA monomer composition through an increase in the proportion of the short-chain monomers of five and six carbons.     

A defect in beta-oxidation causes abnormal inflorescence development in Arabidopsis.

The abnormal inflorescence meristem1 (aim1) mutation affects inflorescence and floral development in Arabidopsis. After the transition to reproductive growth, the aim1 inflorescence meristem becomes disorganized, producing abnormal floral meristems and resulting in plants with severely reduced fertility. The derived amino acid sequence of AIM1 shows extensive similarity to the cucumber multifunctional protein involved in beta-oxidation of fatty acids, which possesses l-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA hydrolyase, l-3-hydroxyacyl-dehydrogenase, d-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA epimerase, and Delta(3), Delta(2)-enoyl-CoA isomerase activities. A defect in beta-oxidation has been confirmed by demonstrating the resistance of the aim1 mutant to 2,4-diphenoxybutyric acid, which is converted to the herbicide 2,4-D by the beta-oxidation pathway. In addition, the loss of AIM1 alters the fatty acid composition of the mature adult plant.     

Human liver long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase is a multifunctional membrane-bound beta-oxidation enzyme of mitochondria.

We have purified to homogeneity the long-chain specific 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase from mitochondrial membranes of human infant liver. The enzyme is composed of non-identical subunits of 71 kDa and 47 kDa within a native structure of 230 kDa. The pure enzyme is active with 3-ketohexanoyl-CoA and gives maximum activity with 3-ketoacyl-CoA substrates of C10 to C16 acyl-chain length but is inactive with acetoacetyl-CoA. In addition to 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase activity, the enzyme possesses 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase and 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase activities which cannot be separated from the dehydrogenase. None of these enzymes show activity with C4 substrates but all are active with C6 and longer acyl-chain length substrates. They are thus distinct from any described previously. This human liver mitochondrial membrane-bound enzyme catalyses the conversion of medium- and long-chain 2-enoyl-CoA compounds to: 1) 3-ketoacyl-CoA in the presence of NAD alone and 2) to acetyl-CoA (plus the corresponding acyl-CoA derivatives) in the presence of NAD and CoASH. It is therefore a multifunctional enzyme, resembling the beta-oxidation enzyme of E. coli, but unique in its membrane location and substrate specificity. We propose that its existence explains the repeated failure to detect any intermediates of mitochondrial beta-oxidation.     

Homology between hydroxybutyryl and hydroxyacyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase enzymes from Clostridium acetobutylicum fermentation and vertebrate fatty acid beta-oxidation pathways.

The enzymes NAD-dependent beta-hydroxybutyryl coenzyme A dehydrogenase (BHBD) and 3-hydroxyacetyl coenzyme A (3-hydroxyacyl-CoA) dehydrogenase are part of the central fermentation pathways for butyrate and butanol production in the gram-positive anaerobic bacterium Clostridium acetobutylicum and for the beta oxidation of fatty acids in eucaryotes, respectively. The C. acetobutylicum hbd gene encoding a bacterial BHBD was cloned, expressed, and sequenced in Escherichia coli. The deduced primary amino acid sequence of the C. acetobutylicum BHBD showed 45.9% similarity with the equivalent mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation enzyme and 38.4% similarity with the 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase part of the bifunctional enoyl-CoA hydratase:3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase from rat peroxisomes. The pig mitochondrial 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase showed 31.7% similarity with the 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase part of the bifunctional enzyme from rat peroxisomes. The phylogenetic relationship between these enzymes supports a common evolutionary origin for the fatty acid beta-oxidation pathways of vertebrate mitochondria and peroxisomes and the bacterial fermentation pathway.     

A new type of a multifunctional beta-oxidation enzyme in euglena

The biochemical and molecular properties of the beta-oxidation enzymes from algae have not been investigated yet. The present study provides such data for the phylogenetically old alga Euglena (Euglena gracilis). A novel multifunctional beta-oxidation complex was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation, density gradient centrifugation, and ion-exchange chromatography. Monospecific antibodies used in immunocytochemical experiments revealed that the enzyme is located in mitochondria. The enzyme complex is composed of 3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A (-CoA) dehydrogenase, 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase, thiolase, and epimerase activities. The purified enzyme exhibits a native molecular mass of about 460 kD, consisting of 45.5-, 44.5-, 34-, and 32-kD subunits. Subunits dissociated from the complete complex revealed that the hydratase and the thiolase functions are located on the large subunits, whereas two dehydrogenase functions are located on the two smaller subunits. Epimerase activity was only measurable in the complete enzyme complex. From the use of stereoisomers and sequence data, it was concluded that the 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase catalyzes the formation of L-hydroxyacyl CoA isomers and that both of the different 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase functions on the 32- and 34-kD subunits are specific to L-isomers as substrates, respectively. All of these data suggest that the Euglena enzyme belongs to the family of beta-oxidation enzymes that degrade acyl-CoAs via L-isomers and that it is composed of subunits comparable with subunits of monofunctional beta-oxidation enzymes. It is concluded that the Euglena enzyme phylogenetically developed from monospecific enzymes in archeons by non-covalent combination of subunits and presents an additional line for the evolutionary development of multifunctional beta-oxidation enzymes.     

A two-domain structure of one subunit explains unique features of eukaryotic hydratase 2

2-Enoyl-CoA hydratase 2, a part from multifunctional enzyme type 2, hydrates trans-2-enoyl-CoA to 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA in the (3R)-hydroxy-dependent route of peroxisomal beta-oxidation of fatty acids. Unliganded and (3R)-hydroxydecanoyl coenzyme A-complexed crystal structures of 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase 2 from Candida tropicalis multifunctional enzyme type 2 were solved to 1.95- and 2.35-A resolution, respectively. 2-Enoyl-CoA hydratase 2 is a dimeric, alpha+beta protein with a novel quaternary structure. The overall structure of the two-domain subunit of eukaryotic 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase 2 resembles the homodimeric, hot dog fold structures of prokaryotic (R)-specific 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase and beta-hydroxydecanoyl thiol ester dehydrase. Importantly, though, the eukaryotic hydratase 2 has a complete hot dog fold only in its C-domain, whereas the N-domain lacks a long central alpha-helix, thus creating space for bulkier substrates in the binding pocket and explaining the observed difference in substrate preference between eukaryotic and prokaryotic enzymes. Although the N- and C-domains have an identity of <10% at the amino acid level, they share a 50% identity at the nucleotide level and fold similarly. We suggest that a subunit of 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase 2 has evolved via a gene duplication with the concomitant loss of one catalytic site. The hydrogen bonding network of the active site of 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase 2 resembles the active site geometry of mitochondrial (S)-specific 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase 1, although in a mirror image fashion. This arrangement allows the reaction to occur by similar mechanism, supported by mutagenesis and mechanistic studies, although via reciprocal stereochemistry.     

The beta-oxidation system in catalase-free microbodies of the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. Purification of a multifunctional protein possessing 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase, L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA epimerase activities.

A trifunctional beta-oxidation protein, designated TFP, was purified to apparent homogeneity from oleate-induced mycelia of Neurospora crassa. 2-Enoyl-CoA hydratase, L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA epimerase activities copurified in constant ratios with this protein when crude extracts were subjected to cation-exchange, dye-ligand, and adsorption chromatography. Trifunctionality was substantiated by coinciding enzyme activity ratios during the last two purification steps and additional chromatographic steps. The enzyme was shown to be a 365-kDa tetramer of subunits with a molecular mass of 93 kDa. Several lines of evidence suggest that these subunits are identical. Monospecific antibodies raised against the homogenous protein specifically precipitated the three enzymatic activities of TFP. Immunoblotting of fractions obtained after sucrose density gradient centrifugation of a crude extract indicated that TFP was exclusively localized in glyoxysome-like microbodies. The beta-oxidation system of N. crassa is structurally related to those of peroxisomes despite the presence of an acyl-CoA dehydrogenase rather than an acyl-CoA oxidase. A mitochondrial 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase activity was separated from TFP and purified to apparent homogeneity. The absence of all other beta-oxidation activities from mitochondria suggests that this organelle and its 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase are not involved in fatty acid degradation in N. crassa.     

The leaf peroxisomal form (MFP IV) of multifunctional protein functioning in fatty-acid β-oxidation

We have purified for the first time from green leaves a multifunctional protein (MFP) involved in fatty acid -oxidation. The protein, designated MFP IV, was extracted from green leaves of three-week-old cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants. Chromatography on cation exchanger, separation on hydroxylapatite, and fast-protein liquid chromatography on Phenylsuperose led to a more than 7000-fold purification and to the isolation of an apparently homogeneous 80-kDa monomeric protein. This protein is immunologically related to the glyoxysomal MFP II, as evidenced by immunodecoration with antiserum raised against MFP II. Comparison of molecular masses of all MFPs presently known revealed that the MFP prepared from green leaves (MFP IV) is distinct from MFP II (76.5 kDa) and MFP I (74 kDa) from dark-grown cotyledons. By including other properties in this comparison, we demonstrated that MFP IV can also be distinguished from the glyoxysomal MFP III (81 kDa) and the bacterially expressed MFP-a (80 kDa). Moreover, MFP IV is a constituent of leaf peroxisomes and contains the activities of 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase (EC 4.2.1.17),l-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.35) and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA epimerase.Abbreviation MFP multifunctional protein This work was supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie.     

Primary structures of the genes, faoA and faoB, from Pseudomonas fragi B-0771 which encode the two subunits of the HDT multienzyme complex involved in fatty acid beta-oxidation.

Three enzyme activities involved in fatty acid beta-oxidation, i.e., those of enoyl-CoA hydratase, 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, and 3-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase, are exhibited by one multienzyme complex (HDT) composed of two molecules each of two peptides in Pseudomonas fragi. Using specific antisera against the two subunits of HDT, we isolated the genes encoding the subunits of HDT and designated them "faoA" (for the alpha-subunit) and "faoB" (for the beta-subunit). Their complete nucleotide sequences were determined and it was revealed that faoA and faoB, both with individual putative S.D. sequences at suitable positions, formed a cluster, in that order. The amino acid sequences deduced from the nucleotide sequences of the two genes indicated that the alpha-subunit, encoded by faoA, is a polypeptide of 715 amino acid residues, and that the beta-subunit, encoded by faoB, consists of 390 amino acid residues lacking the first methionine of the primary product encoded by faoB. Immunoblotting of cell lysates prepared from Escherichia coli transformants carrying plasmids which possess the faoA and/or faoB gene with antisera against the subunits of HDT showed that both the faoA and faoB genes were transcribed and translated in E. coli. The overall activities of 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase were increased in the E. coli cells transformed with the plasmid possessing the faoA gene, suggesting that both the hydratase and dehydrogenase activities may be exhibited by the alpha-subunit of HDT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Yeast peroxisomal multifunctional enzyme: (3R)-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase domains A and B are required for optimal growth on oleic acid.

The yeast peroxisomal (3R)-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase/2-enoyl-CoA hydratase 2 (multifunctional enzyme type 2; MFE-2) has two N-terminal domains belonging to the short chain alcohol dehydrogenase/reductase superfamily. To investigate the physiological roles of these domains, here called A and B, Saccharomyces cerevisiae fox-2 cells (devoid of Sc MFE-2) were taken as a model system. Gly(16) and Gly(329) of the S. cerevisiae A and B domains, corresponding to Gly(16), which is mutated in the human MFE-2 deficiency, were mutated to serine and cloned into the yeast expression plasmid pYE352. In oleic acid medium, fox-2 cells transformed with pYE352:: ScMFE-2(aDelta) and pYE352::ScMFE-2(bDelta) grew slower than cells transformed with pYE352::ScMFE-2, whereas cells transformed with pYE352::ScMFE-2(aDeltabDelta) failed to grow. Candida tropicalis MFE-2 with a deleted hydratase 2 domain (Ct MFE- 2(h2Delta)) and mutational variants of the A and B domains (Ct MFE- 2(h2DeltaaDelta), Ct MFE- 2(h2DeltabDelta), and Ct MFE- 2(h2DeltaaDeltabDelta)) were overexpressed and characterized. All proteins were dimers with similar secondary structure elements. Both wild type domains were enzymatically active, with the B domain showing the highest activity with short chain and the A domain with medium and long chain (3R)-hydroxyacyl-CoA substrates. The data show that the dehydrogenase domains of yeast MFE-2 have different substrate specificities required to allow the yeast to propagate optimally on fatty acids as the carbon source.     

The Multifunctional Protein in Peroxisomal β-Oxidation: STRUCTURE AND SUBSTRATE SPECIFICITY OF THE ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA PROTEIN MFP2*

Plant fatty acids can be completely degraded within the peroxisomes. Fatty acid degradation plays a role in several plant processes including plant hormone synthesis and seed germination. Two multifunctional peroxisomal isozymes, MFP2 and AIM1, both with 2-trans-enoyl-CoA hydratase and l-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase activities, function in mouse ear cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) peroxisomal β-oxidation, where fatty acids are degraded by the sequential removal of two carbon units. A deficiency in either of the two isozymes gives rise to a different phenotype; the biochemical and molecular background for these differences is not known. Structure determination of Arabidopsis MFP2 revealed that plant peroxisomal MFPs can be grouped into two families, as defined by a specific pattern of amino acid residues in the flexible loop of the acyl-binding pocket of the 2-trans-enoyl-CoA hydratase domain. This could explain the differences in substrate preferences and specific biological functions of the two isozymes. The in vitro substrate preference profiles illustrate that the Arabidopsis AIM1 hydratase has a preference for short chain acyl-CoAs compared with the Arabidopsis MFP2 hydratase. Remarkably, neither of the two was able to catabolize enoyl-CoA substrates longer than 14 carbon atoms efficiently, suggesting the existence of an uncharacterized long chain enoyl-CoA hydratase in Arabidopsis peroxisomes.