Kaempferol inhibitions of corn mitochondrial phosphorylation

Kaempferol (3, 5, 7, 4'tetrahydroxyflavone) inhibited the rate of state 3 substrate oxidation, but not the state 4 rate. This, along with the kaempferol inhibition of substrate-driven calcium-phosphate deposition, provided evidence that kaempferol was acting specifically on the phosphorylation mechanism and not on electron transfer. Kaempferol, however, did not inhibit ATP-driven contraction while oligomycin did. Comparisons of kaempferol with mersalyl indicated that kaempferol did not inhibit phosphorylation by blocking phosphate transport. Both kaempferol and 2,4-dinitrophenol inhibited calcium-phosphate transport, but kaempferol did not stimulate respiration to the extent that 2,4-dinitrophenol did under acceptorless conditions. Kaempferol had no effect on NADH-driven contraction in a potassium chloride reaction medium. The site of kaempferol effect is thus seen to be unique from oligomycin and more like aurovertin, likely acting before the formation of the phosphorylated high energy intermediate, but not as an uncoupler in the traditional 2,4-dinitrophenol mode.