The catabolism of endogenous adenine nucleotides in rat liver mitochondria

The degradation of intramitochondrial adenine nucleotides to nucleosides and bases was investigated by incubating isolated rat liver mitochondria at 37 degrees C under non-phosphorylating conditions in the presence of oligomycin and carboxyatractyloside. Within 30 min the adenine nucleotides were degraded by about 25 per cent. The main products formed were adenosine and inosine the contents of which increased five- to sevenfold. Compartmentation studies revealed that about 50 to 60 per cent of the adenosine formed remained inside the organelles whereas inosine was almost completely released into the surrounding medium. Outside the mitochondria only very small amounts of adenine nucleotides were detected. Similar incubations in the presence of [14C]-adenosine yielded no [14C]-inosine ruling out extramitochondrial adenosine deamination. It is concluded that endogenous adenine nucleotides can be degraded in mitochondria via AMP dephosphorylation and subsequent adenosine deamination. A purine nucleoside transport system mediating at least the efflux of inosine from the mitochondria is suggested.