The nature and action of mitochrome

The ATP/ADP-antiporter is involved in the uncoupling effect of fatty acids on mitochondria

The ATP/ADP-antiporter inhibitors and the substrate ADP suppress the uncoupling effect induced by low (10-20 microM) concentrations of palmitate in mitochondria from skeletal muscle and liver. The inhibitors and ADP are found to (a) inhibit the palmitate-stimulated respiration in the controlled state and (b) increase the membrane potential lowered by palmitate. The degree of efficiency decreases in the order: carboxyatractylate (CAtr) greater than ADP greater than bongkrekic acid, atractylate. GDP is ineffective, Mg.ADP is of much smaller effect, whereas ATP is effective at much higher concentration than is ADP. Inhibitor concentrations, which maximally suppress the palmitate-stimulated respiration, correspond to those needed for arresting the state 3 respiration. The extent of the CAtr-sensitive stimulation of respiration by palmitate has been found to decrease with an increase in palmitate concentration. Stimulation of the controlled respiration by p-trifluoromethoxycarbonylcyanide phenylhydrozone (FCCP) and gramicidin D at any concentrations of these uncouplers is CAtr-insensitive, whereas that caused by a low concentrations of 2,4-dinitrophenol and dodecyl sulfate is inhibited by CAtr. The above effect of palmitate develops immediately after addition of the fatty acid. It is resistant to EGTA as well as to inhibitors of phospholipase (nupercain) and of lipid peroxidation (ionol). Moreover, palmitate accelerates spontaneous release of the respiratory control, developing in rat liver mitochondria under certain conditions. This effect takes several minutes, being sensitive to EGTA, nupercain and ionol. Like the fast uncoupling, this slow effect is inhibited by ADP but CAtr and atractylate are stimulatory rather than inhibitory. In artificial planar phospholipid membrane, palmitate does not increase the membrane conductance, FCCP increases it strongly and dinitrophenol only slightly. In cytochrome oxidase proteoliposomes, FCCP, gramicidin and dinitrophenol (less effectively) lower, whereas palmitate enhances the cytochrome-oxidase-generated membrane potential. In this system, monensin substitutes for palmitate. It is concluded that the ATP/ADP antiporter is somehow involved in the uncoupling effect caused by low concentrations of palmitate and, partially, of dinitrophenol, whereas uncoupling produced by FCCP and gramicidin is due to their action on the phospholipid part of the mitochondrial membrane. A possible mechanism of this effect is discussed.

PIGEON MUSCLE MITOCHONDRIA: ION CONCENTRATIONS, OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION, SWELLING, AND EXTRAPARTICULATE SPACE

Metabolically active mitochondria were isolated from pigeon breast muscle in cold 0.45 M sucrose with ATP, EDTA, and tris buffer at pH 7.4. Fresh mitochondria were analyzed for sodium, potassium, nitrogen, iron, and water. They were morphologically intact and showed respiratory control, respiration being limited by the phosphate acceptor and stimulated by dinitrophenol. The respiratory rate was the same in the Warburg respirometer as that in the polarograph chamber; no effect of agitation was observed. The rates of oxygen consumption over short periods of time were 30–40 μ atoms per hour per mg N for α-keto-glutarate and glutamate, 16 for malate, and 1.3 for β-OH butyrate; except in the last case, satisfactory P/O ratios were obtained. A soluble, heat-stable muscle factor, not precipitated at 100,000 × G, stimulated respiration with each substrate but did not affect phosphorylation. From optical density measurements of muscle mitochondria they appeared to behave as moderately good osmometers; only slight swelling occurred during oxidative phosphorylation, but this increased somewhat when respiration ceased. The osmotic dead space was estimated at 60% of the mitochondrial volume. With polyvinylpyrrolidone the extraparticulate space was found to be 27.8 ± 1.8%.

PIGEON MUSCLE MITOCHONDRIA: ION CONCENTRATIONS, OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION, SWELLING, AND EXTRAPARTICULATE SPACE

Metabolically active mitochondria were isolated from pigeon breast muscle in cold 0.45 M sucrose with ATP, EDTA, and tris buffer at pH 7.4. Fresh mitochondria were analyzed for sodium, potassium, nitrogen, iron, and water. They were morphologically intact and showed respiratory control, respiration being limited by the phosphate acceptor and stimulated by dinitrophenol. The respiratory rate was the same in the Warburg respirometer as that in the polarograph chamber; no effect of agitation was observed. The rates of oxygen consumption over short periods of time were 30–40 μ atoms per hour per mg N for α-keto-glutarate and glutamate, 16 for malate, and 1.3 for β-OH butyrate; except in the last case, satisfactory P/O ratios were obtained. A soluble, heat-stable muscle factor, not precipitated at 100,000 × G, stimulated respiration with each substrate but did not affect phosphorylation. From optical density measurements of muscle mitochondria they appeared to behave as moderately good osmometers; only slight swelling occurred during oxidative phosphorylation, but this increased somewhat when respiration ceased. The osmotic dead space was estimated at 60% of the mitochondrial volume. With polyvinylpyrrolidone the extraparticulate space was found to be 27.8 ± 1.8%.