[5-Alkyl(C19-C25) resorcinols as regulators of succinate and NAD-dependent substrate oxidation by mitochondria]

The effect of 5-n-alkyl(C19-C25) resorcinols isolated from Azotobacter chroococcum on the oxidation of succinate and NAD-dependent substrates (glutamate, alpha-ketoglutarate, malate, pyruvate) by rat liver mitochondria was studied, using the polarographic technique. With succinate, the above resorcinol lipids activated to some extent the 2,4-dinitrophenol-decoupled mitochondrial respiration, but markedly suppressed it (up to 95%) in the presence of NAD-dependent substrates. The activating and inhibiting effects correlated with the resorcinol lipid/mitochondrial proteins ratio and were observed, when the lipid concentration in the incubation mixture ranged from 2.4.10(-4) to 6.0.10(-4) M. The most striking inhibiting effect was observed with alpha-ketoglutarate as substrate. The results obtained suggest that 5-n-alkyl(C19-C25) resorcinols should be regarded as rotenone type regulators of cell respiration.