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M D Brand

Publications and source records attributed to M D Brand.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Sub-micromolar concentrations of extramitochondrial Ca2+ stimulate the rate of citrulline synthesis by rat liver mitochondria.

1. In the presence of physiological concentrations of Na+ and Mg2+, the rate of citrulline synthesis by isolated rat liver mitochondria respiring on a range of substrates was stimulated by up to 60% when the extramitochondrial Ca2+ concentration was raised from 130 pM to 770 nM. 2. Our findings suggest that hormonal stimulation of the urea cycle may be mediated by Ca2+.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Altered relationship between protonmotive force and respiration rate in non-phosphorylating liver mitochondria isolated from rats of different thyroid hormone status.

We have determined the relationship between rate of respiration and protonmotive force in oligomycin-inhibited liver mitochondria isolated from euthyroid, hypothyroid and hyperthyroid rats. Respiration rate was titrated with the respiratory-chain inhibitor malonate. At any given respiration rate mitochondria isolated from hypothyroid rats had a protonmotive force greater than mitochondria isolated from euthyroid controls, and mitochondria isolated from hyperthyroid rats had a protonmotive force less than mitochondria isolated from euthyroid controls. In the absence of malonate mitochondrial respiration rate increased in the order hypothyroid less than euthyroid less than hyperthyroid, while protonmotive force increased in the order hyperthyroid less than euthyroid less than hypothyroid. These findings are consistent with a thyroid-hormone-induced increase in the proton conductance of the inner mitochondrial membrane or a decrease in the H+/O ratio of the respiratory chain at any given protonmotive force. Thus the altered proton conductance or H+/O ratio of mitochondria isolated from rats of different thyroid hormone status controls the respiration rate required to balance the backflow of protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane. We discuss the possible relevance of these findings to the control of state 3 and state 4 respiration by thyroid hormone.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Stimulation of respiration by mitogens in rat thymocytes is independent of mitochondrial calcium.

The role of calcium in the control of respiration by the mitogen concanavalin A (ConA) was investigated in rat thymocytes. ConA induced an increase in both mitochondrial respiration and the mitochondrial calcium pool. The stimulation of respiration was shown to be independent of the increase in mitochondrial calcium: the calcium pool declined after 3 min, whereas the respiration increase was persistent, and was not affected by depletion of the calcium pool or by buffering intracellular Ca2+ transients with quin2. The mitogen phytohaemagglutinin stimulated respiration to the same extent as ConA, but did not increase the mitochondrial calcium pool. In addition, respiration was unaffected by changes in the mitochondrial calcium pool induced by increasing or decreasing extracellular calcium. These results indicate that control of respiration is not located in the Ca2+-sensitive mitochondrial dehydrogenases. The ConA-induced increase in respiration could be blocked by oligomycin, suggesting control by cytoplasmic ATP turnover, and was not associated with detectable changes in NAD(P)H fluorescence, indicating a balance between increased electron transfer and increased supply of reduced substrates.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Control of respiration in non-phosphorylating mitochondria is shared between the proton leak and the respiratory chain.

We measured the relationship between rate of respiration and membrane potential in isolated mitochondria titrated with malonate (to inhibit the electron transport chain) or with uncoupler (to increase the proton conductance of the inner membrane). We used the flux control summation and connectivity theorems of metabolic control theory to calculate the control over non-phosphorylating respiration exerted by the respiratory chain (and associated reactions) and by the leak of protons across the inner membrane. At 37 degrees C the flux control coefficient of the leak over respiration was 0.66; the flux control coefficient of the chain over respiration was 0.34. At 25 degrees C the values were 0.75 and 0.25 respectively. We argue that the basis for previous conclusions that all the control is exerted by the proton leak under similar conditions is invalid.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Proton/electron stoichiometry of mitochondrial complex I estimated from the equilibrium thermodynamic force ratio.

The thermodynamic forces on electrons (delta Eh) and protons (delta p) across mitochondrial complexes I, III and IV were measured in isolated mitochondria respiring on succinate. The force ratio (delta Eh/delta p) across complex I close to equilibrium was found to be about 2. The equilibrium force ratio across complex I was measured during sulphite oxidation and was again close to 2. These results indicate that the proton/electron stoichiometry of complex I is 2, in conditions of high protonmotive force.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗
PubMed1988

Membrane-potential-dependent changes in the stoichiometry of charge translocation by the mitochondrial electron transport chain.

The charge/oxygen (q+/O) stoichiometry of mitochondria respiring on succinate was measured under conditions of high membrane potential (delta psi). The technique used was a variation of the steady-state method of Al-Shawi and Brand [(1981) Biochem. J. 200, 539-546]. We show that q+/O was about 2.7 at high values of delta psi (170 mV). As delta psi was lowered from 170 mV to 85 mV with the respiratory inhibitor malonate the q+/O stoichiometry increased to 6.0. A number of artefacts which could have led to an underestimation of the q+/O stoichiometry were eliminated. These included effects of any rapid change in mitochondrial volume, internal pH, activity of the endogenous K+/H+ exchanger or in H+ conductance due to changes in delta psi after the addition of inhibitor. The experiments presented here are the first direct demonstration that the stoichiometry of proton pumping by the mitochondrial respiratory chain changes as delta psi is varied.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

The stoichiometry of charge translocation by cytochrome oxidase and the cytochrome bc1 complex of mitochondria at high membrane potential.

The q+/2e stoichiometries (number of charges translocated per electron pair transferred) of cytochrome oxidase and the cytochrome bc1 complex in rat liver mitochondria were determined at a range of membrane potentials up to 180 mV. The method used was similar to the one used in the preceding paper by us in this journal to determine the q+/O stoichiometry of the mitochondrial electron transport chain from succinate to oxygen. The measured q+/2e stoichiometry of cytochrome oxidase was 3.5 positive charges per O atom reduced at low membrane potential (120 mV) and it decreased to about 1.5 at high membrane potential (180 mV). The measured q+/2e stoichiometry of the cytochrome bc1 complex was between 1 and 1.25 positive charges ejected per electron pair and did not change significantly as delta psi was varied from 85 mV to 157 mV. The sum of the q+/2e stoichiometries of cytochrome oxidase and the cytochrome bc1 complex determined separately was similar to their value determined together for electron transport from succinate to oxygen over the range of membrane potentials studied. The most probable interpretation of these results is that the stoichiometry of the cytochrome bc1 complex is invariant over a range of membrane potentials and that the q+/2e stoichiometry of cytochrome oxidase decreases from 4 at low membrane potential to 2 at high membrane potential.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Hypothyroidism in rats does not lower mitochondrial ADP/O and H+/O ratios.

We investigated reports that mitochondria isolated from hypothyroid rats have decreased ADP/O and H+/O ratios. We observed no decrease in the H+/O ratio in mitochondria from hypothyroid rats, in the presence of either 2% (w/v) fatty-acid-free bovine serum albumin or 100 nM free Ca2+. The ADP/O ratio in mitochondria isolated from hypothyroid rats in the presence of 2% fatty-acid-free bovine serum albumin was measured. Under normal experimental conditions we found no decrease in the ADP/O ratio, relative to that measured for littermate controls. At the low concentrations of mitochondrial protein used in the previously reported studies, the ADP/O ratio of mitochondria from hypothyroid rats was decreased, whereas that for control rats was only slightly decreased. The difference between the ADP/O ratios measured for mitochondria form hypothyroid rats and from control rats under these conditions was eliminated by inhibition of endogenous adenylate kinase. We suggest that the lowering of the apparent ADP/O ratio in mitochondria from hypothyroid rats at low concentrations of mitochondrial protein is an experimental artefact resulting from the breakdown of ADP to AMP.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1987

Mitogenic stimulation transiently increases the exchangeable mitochondrial calcium pool in rat thymocytes.

Exchangeable calcium pools were measured in rat thymocytes by 45Ca labelling and selective depletion of intracellular pools with oligomycin in the presence or absence of rotenone. The mitochondrial pool increased by 150% after 3 min of treatment with the mitogen concanavalin A, and decreased to zero 10 min after mitogen addition. No significant change in the ATP-dependent pool could be detected.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1987

Stimulation of the respiration rate of rat liver mitochondria by sub-micromolar concentrations of extramitochondrial Ca2+.

1. The respiration rate of rat liver mitochondria was stimulated by up to 70% when the extramitochondrial Ca2+ concentration was raised from 103 to 820 nM. This occurred when pyruvate, 2-oxoglutarate, or threo-(Ds)-isocitrate was employed as substrate, but not when succinate was used. 2. Ruthenium Red prevented the stimulation of mitochondrial respiration by extramitochondrial Ca2+, showing that the effect required Ca2+ uptake into the mitochondrial matrix. 3. Starvation of rats for 48 h abolished the stimulation of mitochondrial respiration by extramitochondrial Ca2+ when pyruvate was used as substrate, but did not affect the stimulation of 2-oxoglutarate oxidation by extramitochondrial Ca2+. 4. Our findings are in accord with proposals that oxidative metabolism in liver mitochondria may be stimulated by Ca2+ activation of intramitochondrial dehydrogenases.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

The control of electron flux through cytochrome oxidase.

1. The electron flux through cytochrome oxidase is a linear function of the net thermodynamic force across the complex over a limited range of conditions. 2. Over a wide range of conditions the electron flux is a complicated function of the percentage reduction of the cytochrome c pool and of delta psi (at low values of delta pH). 3. We have estimated the elasticities of electron flux through cytochrome oxidase to delta Eh of the redox reaction catalysed by cytochrome oxidase (or to cyt c2+/cyt c3+) and to delta psi. The elasticities varied depending on the values of delta psi and of the percentage reduction of the cytochrome c pool. 4. At intermediate rates (which may correspond to those in vivo) the electron flux through cytochrome oxidase is controlled to about the same extent by delta psi and by delta Eh.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Changes in permeability to protons and other cations at high proton motive force in rat liver mitochondria.

We have confirmed that the respiration rate of rat liver mitochondria can be substantially inhibited with only a small drop in proton motive force. We have directly measured the passive proton permeability as a function of delta psi by using K+ diffusion potentials and have shown that there is a large increase in proton permeability at high delta psi. This can quantitatively account for the inhibitor titrations of respiration. delta psi and delta pH were shown to have roughly equal effects on the relatively high respiration rate in static head. The permeabilities to K+, tetramethylammonium+ and choline+ were shown to increase greatly at high delta psi, in a similar way to proton permeability, indicating a similar mechanism of entry.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

The stoichiometry of the exchange catalysed by the mitochondrial calcium/sodium antiporter.

Rat heart mitochondria respiring on succinate in the presence of Ruthenium Red (to inhibit uptake on the Ca2+ uniporter) released Ca2+ on the calcium/sodium antiporter until a steady state was reached. Addition of the ionophore A23187 (which catalyses Ca2+/2H+ exchange) did not perturb this steady state. Thermodynamic analysis showed that if a Ca2+/nNa+ exchange with any value of n other than 2 was at equilibrium, addition of A23187 would cause an obvious change in extramitochondrial free [Ca2+]. Therefore the endogenous calcium/sodium antiporter of mitochondria catalyses electroneutral Ca2+/2Na+ exchange.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Thermodynamic control of electron flux through mitochondrial cytochrome bc1 complex.

The redox states of exogenously added ubiquinone-2 and cytochrome c, and the protonmotive force (delta p) of rat liver mitochondria were measured as the respiration rate was titrated with the uncoupler carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenyl-hydrazone. The force ratio delta Eh/delta p across the bc1 complex was close to 1:1 in State 4, indicating an H+/e- stoichiometry of 1:1 for the cytochrome bc1 complex, excluding protons moved by pool ubiquinone. Assuming a constant stoichiometry the rate of electron transport increased linearly with the disequilibrium (delta Eh - delta p) across the complex.

Animals↗