Control of oxidative phosphorylation in rat liver mitochondria: effect of ionic media

The aim of this work was to compare oxidative phosphorylation activity and its kinetic control on isolated rat liver mitochondria in either various ionic or sucrose isoosmotic media. Whatever the ionic medium, state 3 and uncoupled state respiratory rates were higher in ionic than in sucrose media, although state 4 respiration rate remained constant. Moreover, under isoosmotic conditions, the salt concentration necessary for half state 3 stimulation depends on the cation involved: for inorganic cations, these K0.5 values increased, as did the absolute value of hydratation enthalpy. The ATP/O ratio did not vary in any medium and matrix volume was about 20% increased in ionic media. JO2 versus delta p relationships were left-shifted in ionic media compared to sucrose medium: for the same respiratory rate, the protonmotive force maintained was lesser in ionic media. However, the relationship between JO2 and delta p is unique whatever the ionic medium under study. In ionic media compared to the sucrose medium, kinetic control was increased on one of the protonmotive force generating systems (cytochrome c oxidase) and decreased on one of the protonmotive force dissipating systems (adenine nucleotide translocator), even if the fluxes increased.