Adenine nucleotide efflux in mitochondria induced by inorganic pyrophosphate

The efflux of mitochondrial adenine nucleotide which is induced by addition of PPi to suspensions of rat liver mitochondria has been investigated. This efflux of adenine nucleotide is greatly stimulated by the uncoupler FCCP at 1 microM, Vmax being 6.7 nmol/min per mg protein as compared to 2.0 nmol/min per mg protein in its absence. The depletion process is inhibited by carboxyatractyloside. The Km for PPi of 1.25 mM is essentially unchanged when uncoupler is added. Quantitation of the individual adenine nucleotide species (ATP, ADP and AMP) and their relationship to the rate of efflux suggests that ADP is the predominant species being exchanged for PPi.