The mitochondrial ATP/ADP carrier: interaction with detergents and purification by a novel procedure

The interaction of several classes of detergents with mitochondrial ATP/ADP carrier (AAC) was studied. The detergents that were best suited for solubilization of active AAC differed in several physico-chemical properties, but contained relatively rigid or planar hydrophobic (sub)moieties. Based on specific binding of AAC to Blue Sepharose, a novel method for the purification of the AAC was developed. The new method gave AAC samples which were devoid of non-essential lipids and allowed to purify AAC isoenzymes from several species and tissues to a significantly higher degree of purity than that achieved up to now. Western blot analysis of purified AACs with an antiserum against chicken heart AAC confirmed that immunological variability is more important between tissues than between species. In contrast to liver and kidney AACs, brain AAC displayed similar antigenic properties to heart AAC.