The action of serum albumin on oxidative phosphorylation in insect mitochondria

What controls the outer mitochondrial membrane permeability for ADP: facts for and against the role of oncotic pressure

In our study 10% of bovine serum albumin was added to the physiological incubation medium to mimic the oncotic pressure of the cellular cytoplasm and to test for its effect on the respiration of isolated rat heart mitochondria, saponin- or saponin plus crude collagenase (type IV)-treated heart muscle fibers and saponin-treated rat quadriceps muscle fibers. Pyruvate and malate were used as substrates. We found that albumin slightly decreased the maximal ADP-stimulated respiration rate only for saponin-treated heart muscle fibers. The apparent Km ADP of oxidative phosphorylation increased significantly, by 70-100%, for isolated heart mitochondria, saponin plus collagenase-treated heart muscle fibers and for saponin-treated quadriceps muscle fibers but remained unchanged for saponin-treated heart muscle fibers. The saponin-treated heart muscle fibers were characterized by a very high control apparent Km ADP value (234+/-24 microM ADP) compared with other preparations (14-28 microM ADP). The results suggest that in vivo the oncotic pressure is not the relevant factor causing the low outer mitochondrial membrane permeability for ADP in cardiomyocytes, in contrast to quadriceps muscle cells. It is likely that the outer mitochondrial membrane-bound protein(s) which is supposed to remain in saponin-treated heart muscle fibers is responsible for this property of the membrane.

Hamster brown-adipose-tissue mitochondria. The role of fatty acids in the control of the proton conductance of the inner membrane

The specific ability of fatty acids to increase the proton conductance of the inner membrane of mitochondria from the liver and brown adipose tissue of cold-adapted hamsters was compared. The liver and brown-adipose-tissue mitochondria had their effective proton conductances increased by respectively 0.028 and 0.94 nmol H+- min-1. (mV of proton electrochemical gradient)-1 for each nmol of palmitate bound. No difference could be detected between the abilities of liver and brown-adipose-tissue mitochondria to bind fatty acids. Purine nucleotides did not displace farry acids from the brown-adipase-tissue mitochondria. The endogenous fatty acid content of hamster brown-adipose-tissue mitochondria prepared in the absence of album was found to be equivalent to 17 +/- 7 nmol of palmitate/mg protein. The fatty acid content was reduced to 1 nmol/mg after preincubation of the mitochondria with CoA, ATP and carnitine. No inert pool of fatty acids could be detected. The endogenous fatty acids of hamster liver mitochondria were less than 4 nmol of palmitate equivalent/mg protein. Some of the fatty acid associated with the brown-adipose-tissue mitochondria originates during preparation of the mitochondria. In the light of these results, the physiological role of the fatty acids in controlling the proton conductance of the brown-adipose-tissue mitochondrial inner membrane, and hence- non-shivering thermogenesis, is re-evaluated.

THE UNCOUPLING OF OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION BY IONIZING RADIATION

Whole body irradiation of rabbits or rats with X-rays or Co60γ-rays causes uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation in thymus mitochondria, which is not prevented by the prior administration of AET. Whole body irradiation was not found to affect oxidative phosphorylation in liver or mouse ascites cell mitochondria. The radiation lesion can be repaired in vitro by the addition of cytochrome c, bovine serum albumin, or vitamin K1to mitochondria. Vitamin E and coenzyme Q10 were without effect. Both phosphorylating steps in the electron transport chain associated with succinate oxidation are affected by irradiation. The diphosphopyridine nucleotide dependent steps in the oxidation of α-ketoglutarate by thymus mitochondria are damaged by in vivo irradiation. Diphosphopyridine nucleotide levels of thymus and spleen but not liver or ascites cells are reduced by in vivo irradiation. No effect of in vitro irradiation on oxidative phosphorylation could be found for thymocyte cell suspensions, isolated thymus or liver mitochondria, or ascites or HeLa cell suspensions. Respiration of ascites or thymocyte cells was unaffected by in vitro irradiation.

THE UNCOUPLING OF OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION BY IONIZING RADIATION

Whole body irradiation of rabbits or rats with X-rays or Co60γ-rays causes uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation in thymus mitochondria, which is not prevented by the prior administration of AET. Whole body irradiation was not found to affect oxidative phosphorylation in liver or mouse ascites cell mitochondria. The radiation lesion can be repaired in vitro by the addition of cytochrome c, bovine serum albumin, or vitamin K1to mitochondria. Vitamin E and coenzyme Q10 were without effect. Both phosphorylating steps in the electron transport chain associated with succinate oxidation are affected by irradiation. The diphosphopyridine nucleotide dependent steps in the oxidation of α-ketoglutarate by thymus mitochondria are damaged by in vivo irradiation. Diphosphopyridine nucleotide levels of thymus and spleen but not liver or ascites cells are reduced by in vivo irradiation. No effect of in vitro irradiation on oxidative phosphorylation could be found for thymocyte cell suspensions, isolated thymus or liver mitochondria, or ascites or HeLa cell suspensions. Respiration of ascites or thymocyte cells was unaffected by in vitro irradiation.