PEX12

Function

PEX12 is needed for protein import into peroxisomes. This gene belongs to the peroxin-12 family. Peroxins (PEXs) are proteins that are essential for the assembly of functional peroxisomes.

Clinical significance

The peroxisome biogenesis disorders (PBDs; MIM 601539) are a group of genetically heterogeneous diseases that are usually lethal in early infancy. Although the clinical features of PBD patients vary, cells from all PBD patients exhibit a defect in the import of one or more classes of peroxisomal matrix proteins into the organelle. This cellular phenotype is shared by yeast 'pex' mutants, and human orthologs of yeast PEX genes defective in some PBD complementation groups (CGs).

Interactions

PEX12 has been shown to interact with PEX10, PEX5 and PEX19.