Changes in GDP binding to brown adipose tissue mitochondria and the uncoupling protein

Incubation in vitro of brown adipose tissue (BAT) mitochondria with divalent cations, spermine, or alkaline phosphatase led to a marked increase in the binding of [3H]GDP. The effect of Mg2+ appeared to be the most specific and led to the largest increase in GDP binding. A simplified method was developed for measuring GDP binding to purified uncoupling protein from rat BAT mitochondria. Application of this method indicates that uncoupling protein from cold-acclimated rats binds twice as much GDP as uncoupling protein from cold-acclimated rats that were briefly returned to thermoneutrality, paralleling changes in GDP binding to the mitochondria. Incubation of BAT mitochondria with Mg2+ led to a smaller increase in GDP binding to the subsequently purified uncoupling protein, suggesting that divalent cations may somehow participate in the regulation of the activity of the uncoupling protein.