The role of adenine nucleotide translocators in regulation of oxidative phosphorylation in heart mitochondria

The regulative role of adenine nucleotide translocators (ANTs) in oxidative phosphorylation has been estimated by the titration of respiration of isolated rabbit heart mitochondria with carboxyatractyloside in the presence of a non-rate limiting creatine phosphokinase ADP-regenerating system. It has been established that the respiration rate is not controlled by ANTs in the two extreme states, state 3 and state 4. On the other hand, at an intermediate respiration rate (30-70% of the state 3 respiration, which roughly corresponds to that under physiological conditions) the ANT control coefficient had a value of 0.62-0.75. Thus, ANTs seem to play a key role in the regulation of oxidative phosphorylation.