Characterization of oxidative phosphorylation in the colorless chlorophyte Polytomella sp. Its mitochondrial respiratory chain lacks a plant-like alternative oxidase

The presence of an alternative oxidase (AOX) in Polytomella sp., a colorless relative of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, was explored. Oxygen uptake in Polytomella sp. mitochondria was inhibited by KCN (94%) or antimycin (96%), and the remaining cyanide-resistant respiration was not blocked by the AOX inhibitors salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) or n-propylgallate. No stimulation of an AOX activity was found upon addition of either pyruvate, alpha-ketoglutarate, or AMP, or by treatment with DTT. An antibody raised against C. reinhardtii AOX did not recognized any polypeptide band of Polytomella sp. mitochondria in Western blots. Also, PCR experiments and Southern blot analysis failed to identify an Aox gene in this colorless alga. Finally, KCN exposure of cell cultures failed to stimulate an AOX activity. Nevertheless, KCN exposure of Polytomella sp. cells induced diminished mitochondrial respiration (20%) and apparent changes in cytochrome c oxidase affinity towards cyanide. KCN-adapted cells exhibited a significant increase of a-type cytochromes, suggesting accumulation of inactive forms of cytochrome c oxidase. Another effect of KCN exposure was the reduction of the protein/fatty acid ratio of mitochondrial membranes, which may affect the observed respiratory activity. We conclude that Polytomella lacks a plant-like AOX, and that its corresponding gene was probably lost during the divergence of this colorless genus from its close photosynthetic relatives.     

Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex of Acetobacter xylinum. Purification and regulatory properties.

The alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex of Acetobacter xylinum was purified to homogeneity. It consists of three main polypeptide chains with a total molecular weight of about 2.4 X 10(6). It catalyzes the overall Mg2+ and thiamin pyrophosphate-dependent, NAD+- and CoA-linked oxidative decarboxylation of alpha-ketoglutarate, as well as the partial reactions characteristic of the three enzyme components described for the complex from other sources. Initial velocity studies revealed marked positive cooperativity for the substrate alpha-ketoglutarate (Hill coefficient (nH) = 2.0; concentration of ligand at half-maximum effect (S0.5) = 8 mM). The sigmoidal [alpha-ketoglutarate]-velocity relationship became hyperbolic upon addition of AMP or 3-acetylpyridine adenine dinucleotide (AcPyAD) or in the presence of high concentrations of NAD. S0.5 (alpha-ketoglutarate) decreased to 1 mM, but Vmax was unchanged. Saturation curves for NAD and AMP are sigmoidal (nH = 2) at low alpha-ketoglutarate concentrations and become hyperbolic at high alpha-ketoglutarate concentrations. As judged by S0.5, the relative efficiency of the allosteric effectors is AcPyAD greater than AMP greater than alpha-ketoglutarate- greater than NAD+. Half-maximal changes in nH, S0.5, and activation by AMP occur at a pH significantly different from that of half-maximal activity. A model for the allosteric behavior of the complex is proposed in which the first enzyme component of the complex (E1) is the site for the allosteric interactions and AMP is the primary positive modifier, whereas NAD and AcPyAD act as AMP analogues. The overall reaction is competitively inhibited by NADH with respect to NAD (K1 = 20 micronM) and by succinyl-CoA with respect of CoA (K1 = 3 micronM). The properties of the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex of A. xylinum appear to provide for appropriate partitioning of alpha-ketoglutarate carbon between competing pathways in response to the energy state of the cells.     

The role of ATP in the cytostructure of the hepatocytes

We have previously described the preparation of hepatocytes from which the plasma membrane was removed by digitonin treatment. Such "nude" cells were found to be very stable in sucrose media containing above 50 mM NaCl or KCl, but they disintegrate near instantly in salt-free media, liberating nuclei, mitochondria, and other organelles. We show here that disintegration occurs at a physiologic pH and in the presence of oxygen. Disintegration was blocked by rotenone, oligomycin, KCN, and carboxyatractyloside, establishing that oxidative phosphorylation and ATP generation is essential for disintegration to occur. The addition of ATP, GTP, ITP, or ADP (but not AMP) in the presence of the inhibitors, induced breakdown. Taxol, an inhibitor of tubulin depolymerization and phalloidin, a drug that stabilizes actin fibers, prevented disintegration in salt-free media. The effect of these drugs was counteracted by the addition of ATP. Our results show that two conditions are essential to induce the disintegration of the nude cell: media of low ionic strength, and ATP generation. The ATP effect is likely to be of physiological significance, suggesting role of ATP generation in affecting polymerization of cytoskeletal elements.     

Regulation of purine nucleotide synthesis in human B lymphoblasts with both hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase deficiency and phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase superactivity.

Human B lymphoblast lines severely deficient in hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) were selected for resistance to 6-thioguanine from cloned normal and phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PP-Rib-P) synthetase-superactive cell lines and were compared with their respective parental cell lines with regard to growth and PP-Rib-P and purine nucleotide metabolism. During blockade of purine synthesis de novo with 6-methylthioinosine or aminopterin, inhibition of growth of all HGPRT-deficient cell lines was refractory to addition of Ade at concentrations which restored substantial growth to parental cell lines. Ade-resistant inhibition of growth of parental lines by 6-methylthioinosine, however, occurred during Ado deaminase inhibition. Insufficient generation of IMP (and ultimately guanylates) to support growth of lymphoblasts lacking HGPRT activity and blocked in purine synthesis de novo best explained these findings, implying that a major route of interconversion of AMP to IMP involves the reaction sequence: AMP----Ado----Ino----Hyp----IMP. PP-Rib-P generation and purine nucleoside triphosphate pools were unchanged by introduction of HGPRT deficiency into normal lymphoblast lines, in agreement with the view that accelerated purine synthesis de novo in this deficiency results from increased availability of PP-Rib-P for the pathway. Cell lines with dual enzyme defects did not differ from PP-Rib-P synthetase-superactive parental lines in rates of PP-Rib-P and purine synthesis despite 5-6-fold increases in PP-Rib-P concentrations, excretion of nearly 50% of newly synthesized purines, and diminished GTP concentrations. Fixed rates of purine synthesis de novo in PP-Rib-P synthetase-superactive cells appeared to reflect saturation of the rate-limiting amidophosphoribosyltransferase reaction for PP-Rib-P. In combination with accelerated purine excretion, increased channeling of newly formed purines into adenylates, and impaired conversion of AMP to IMP, fixed rates of purine synthesis de novo may condition cell lines with defects in HGPRT and PP-Rib-P synthetase to depletion of GTP with consequent growth retardation.     

Cyanide-resistant respiration in roots and leaves. Measurements with intact tissues and isolated mitochondria

A comparison was made between the oxygen uptake of roots and leaves and of mitochondria isolated from the same tissues. Ten species were included in this study: three legumes, one C3-monocotyledon, one C4-monocotyledon, the rest non-leguminous C3-dicotyledons. Root and leaf respiration in all species examined displayed substantial resistance to KCN (0.1–1.0 mM) and the cyanide-resistant respiration was completely inhibited by salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM; 10–20 mM). SHAM alone inhibited oxygen uptake to varying degrees, depending on the species. Mitochondria were isolated from roots and leaves of many of the species examined and also displayed cyanide-resistant oxygen uptake, which was sensitive to both SHAM and tetraethylthiuram disulfide (disulfiram). Concentrations of SHAM greater than 2 mM caused inhibition of the cytochrome path as well as of the alternative path in isolated mitochondria. Respiration rates of intact roots and leaves in the presence of varying concentrations of SHAM alone were plotted against those obtained in the presence of both SHAM and KCN. This plot showed that in vivo the cytochrome pathway was not affected by 10 or 20 mM SHAM in the external solution. We conclude that the activity of the alternative pathway in intact roots and leaves can be reliably estimated by comparing SHAM-sensitivity and cyanide-resistance of respiration.     

Characterization of oxidative phosphorylation in the colorless chlorophyte Polytomella sp.: Its mitochondrial respiratory chain lacks a plant-like alternative oxidase

The presence of an alternative oxidase (AOX) in Polytomella sp., a colorless relative of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, was explored. Oxygen uptake in Polytomella sp. mitochondria was inhibited by KCN (94%) or antimycin (96%), and the remaining cyanide-resistant respiration was not blocked by the AOX inhibitors salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) or n-propylgallate. No stimulation of an AOX activity was found upon addition of either pyruvate, α-ketoglutarate, or AMP, or by treatment with DTT. An antibody raised against C. reinhardtii AOX did not recognized any polypeptide band of Polytomella sp. mitochondria in Western blots. Also, PCR experiments and Southern blot analysis failed to identify an Aox gene in this colorless alga. Finally, KCN exposure of cell cultures failed to stimulate an AOX activity. Nevertheless, KCN exposure of Polytomella sp. cells induced diminished mitochondrial respiration (20%) and apparent changes in cytochrome c oxidase affinity towards cyanide. KCN-adapted cells exhibited a significant increase of a-type cytochromes, suggesting accumulation of inactive forms of cytochrome c oxidase. Another effect of KCN exposure was the reduction of the protein/fatty acid ratio of mitochondrial membranes, which may affect the observed respiratory activity. We conclude that Polytomella lacks a plant-like AOX, and that its corresponding gene was probably lost during the divergence of this colorless genus from its close photosynthetic relatives.     

The NAD-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase from Dictyostelium discoideum: purification and properties

The NAD-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) from Dictyostelium discoideum was purified 1101-fold with a yield of 23.4%. The enzyme has an apparent Mr of 356 kDa, determined using Sephacryl S400, and a subunit molecular weight of 54 kDa on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The Kms for alpha-ketoglutarate, NADH, and NH4+ are 0.36 +/- 0.03 mM, 16.0 +/- 0.1 microM, and 34.5 +/- 2.7 mM, respectively. The purified enzyme has a pH optimum of pH 7.25-7.5. At 0.1 mM, ADP and AMP stimulate GDH activity 25 and 102%, respectively. Half-maximal activity in the presence of 0.1 mM AMP for alpha-ketoglutarate, NADH, and NH4+ is reached at 2.3 +/- 0.1 mM, 71.4 +/- 5.5 microM, and 27.9 +/- 3.6 mM, respectively.     

Effects of octanoate and acetate upon hepatic glycolysis and lipogenesis

Octanoate and N6,O2'-dibutyryl adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (dibutyryl cyclic AMP) cause a marked inhibition of net glucose utilization and lactate and pyruvate accumulation by hepatocytes isolated from meal-fed rats. Acetate is much less effective as an inhibitor of glycolysis. Fatty acid synthesis, as measured by tritiated water incorporation, is inhibited by dibutyryl cyclic AMP, whereas it is stimulated by 10 mM acetate and 1 mM octanoate. Stimulation of fatty acid synthesis by 1 mM octanoate, however, is lost paradoxically at higher concentrations of octanoate. Rates of fatty acid synthesis estimated by [1-14C]octanoate incorporation were consistently higher than rates calculated on the basis of tritiated water incorporation, raising the question as to which is the better index of the rate of de novo fatty acid synthesis. The effects of octanoate were studied because it was reasoned that this fatty acid should not inhibit acetyl-CoA carboxylase but should inhibit glycolysis and supply acetyl-CoA for lipogenesis. This was found to be the case, proving that glycolytic activity is not necessary for rapid rates of de novo fatty acid synthesis by liver.     

Stoichiometric traps in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. I. Self-inhibition and triggering phenomena

The steady-state oxidation of 2 mM pyruvate in pigeon and rat heart mitochondria in the presence of ADP-glucose-hexokinase load can be strongly inhibited by excess (10-40 mM) of pyruvate or beta-hydroxybutyrate. This inhibition is accompanied by the accumulation of alpha-ketoglutarate and a decrease of malate. The mechanism of such substrate inhibition may be associated with the limitation of the tricarboxylic acid cycle flux by low levels of oxaloacetate and free CoA due to their being trapped as alpha-ketoglutarate and acetyl-CoA. Contrary to pyruvate, the ketone bodies in the absence of other substrates produce self-inhibition of their oxidation at as low concentrations as 0.5-1 mM. At 10-15 mM of acetoacetate, a complete suppression of respiration may develop. At a high load (preset by ADP or the uncoupler CCCP), the suppression is characterised by the accumulation of malate and a decrease of alpha-ketoglutarate. At low loads, the reverse distribution of the intermediates takes place. It is concluded that the system of ketone body oxidation in heart mitochondria is an example of biochemical triggers (systems with two alternative stable states).     

Modulation of branched-chain 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase activity by adenine nucleotides in isolated rat liver mitochondria

Feeding a 17.5% amino acid diet to rats results in inactivation of the hepatic branched-chain 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complex. Reactivation occurs when preincubating mitochondria in the presence of 0.3 mM ATP, ADP, and AMP. The effect of AMP is assumed to be due to de novo formation of ADP. NaF (25 mM) blocks reactivation suggesting the involvement of a protein phosphatase in the activation process. At high nucleotide concentrations (3 mM) the enzyme is inactive. In the presence of Mg2+ ions nucleotide induced activation is further increased. Mg2+ ions themselves influence the equilibrium state of the enzyme complex. Low concentrations (1 mM) favor inactivation while high concentrations (10 mM) stimulate activation of the enzyme suggesting that Mg2+ ions may act by regulating the associated kinase and phosphatase.     

Cyanide-initiated oxygen consumption in autoclaved culture medium containing sugars

The consumption of oxygen initiated by KCN in an autoclaved sugar-containing rinse medium with protoplasts is described. The effect of autoclaving on several sugars was examined. Fructose solutions, followed in decreasing order by glucose, sucrose and sorbitol, were found to contain the largest amount of degraded products that could react with oxygen in the presence of KCN. Mannitol was found to be stable under the autoclaving conditions used in this investigation. KCN generally has an inhibitory effect on respiration, but in some plant tissues, respiration is stimulated by it. Under certain circumstances the degradation artefact described here may confuse interpretation of the results of respiration measurements. The use of autoclaved media containing sugars should be avoided in respiration studies that involve the application of KCN.Abbreviations SHAM salicylhydroxamic acid     

Energy metabolism of spermatozoa. IV. Effect of calcium on respiration of mature epididymal sperm of the rabbit.

The effect of calcium (Ca+2) on the respiration rate of mature rab bit epididymal sperm was studied. The addition of Ca+2 did not further stimulate the respiration rate of sperm already stimulated by glucose or pyruvate. Oligomycin, which inhibits mitochondrial ATP synthesis and slows respiration, did not inhibit the uptake of mitochond rial Ca+2. The addition of the ionophore A23187, which promotes selective permeability of cell membranes to Ca+2, caused a marked stimulation of respiration when Ca+2 was added, indicating that the sperm cell membrane is not permeable to Ca+2. The stimulation of the respiration rate by pyruvate, but not glucose, was enhanced by the addition of 45 mM HCO3, which did not affect the response to added Ca+2. With or without Ca+2, cyclic AMP and dibutyl cyclic AMP did not stimulate respiration in the presence of pyruvate or glucose. The results suggest that mature rabbit sperm from the cauda epididymis are intrinsically motile, and not dependent on Ca+2.     

Metabolism of fatty acids and their incorporation into phospholipids of the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum in isolated hepatocytes determined by isolation of fluorescence derivatives

Isolated hepatocytes were incubated in the presence of [14C]palmitic, [14C]linoleic or [14C]linolenic acid and the time-courses of incorporation of radioactivity into phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine of microsomes and mitochondria were followed. For this purpose a procedure was developed for HPLC separation of 9-diazomethylanthracene (ADAM) derivatives of fatty acids. When [14C]palmitic acid was used, the major product of elongation and desaturation was octadecadienoic acid, which accounted for 35-65% of the total radioactivity. Labeled palmitoleic, stearic and oleic acids could also be isolated. In fatty acids which do not participate to any large extent in deacylation-reacylation reactions, the pattern of incorporation was characteristic: a high rate of incorporation into microsomal and a low rate of incorporation into mitochondrial phospholipids during the first 40 min, followed by a decrease in the former and an increase in mitochondrial labeling. This pattern is consistent with the fact that de novo synthesis of these two phospholipids occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum in vivo. When cells were incubated in the presence of [14C]linoleic acid, 70-90% of the radioactivity recovered in phospholipids was in this same form, whereas the remaining label was mainly in arachidonic acid and, to some extent, in eicosatrienoic acid. When hepatocytes were incubated in the presence of [14C]linolenic acid, 70-85% of the radioactivity in isolated phospholipids was associated with linolenic acid. As much as 20% of the label was recovered in docosahexanoic acid and 5-10% in arachidonic acid. In the case of the two latter labeled substrates the exchange reactions seem to dominate over de novo synthesis. For phospholipids synthesized de novo the transfer from the endoplasmic reticulum to mitochondria requires about 3 h.     

Energy transduction in photosynthetic bacteria. X. Composition and function of the branched oxidase system in wild type and respiration deficient mutants of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata.

The respiratory chain of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata, strain St. Louis and of two respiration deficient mutants (M6 and M7) has been investigated by examining the redox and spectral characteristics of the cytochromes and their response to substrates and to specific respiratory inhibitors. Since the specific lesions of M6 and M7 have been localized on two different branches of the multiple oxidase system of the wild type strain, the capability for aerobic growth of these mutants can be considered as a proof of the physiological significance of both branched systems "in vivo". Using M6 and M7 mutants the response of the branched chain to respiratory inhibitors could be established. Cytochrome oxidase activity, a specific function of an high potential cytochrome b (E'0 = +413 mV) is sensitive to low concentrations of KCN (5-10(-5) M); CO is a specific inhibitor of an alternative oxidase, which is also inhibited by high concentrations of KCN (10(-3) M). Antimycin A inhibits preferentially the branch of the chain affected by low concentrations of cyanide. Redox titrations and spectral data indicate the presence in the membrane of three cytochromes of b type (E'0 = +413, +260, +47 vM) and two cytochromes of c type (E'0 = +342, +94 mV). A clear indication of the involvement in respiration of cytochrome b413, cytochrome c342 and cytochrome b47 has been obtained. Only 50% of the dithionite reducible cytochrome b can be reduced by respiratory substrates also in the presence of high concentrations of KCN or in anaerobiosis. The presence and function of quinones in the respiratory electron transport system has been clearly demonstrated. Quinones, which are reducible by NADH and succinate to about the same extent can be reoxidized through both branches of the respiratory chain, as shown by the response of their redox state to KCN. The possible site of the branching of the electron transport chain has been investigated comparing the per cent level of reduction of quinones and of cytochromes b and c as a function of KCN concentrations in membranes from wild type and M6 mutants cells. The site of the branching has been localized at the level of quinones-cytochrome b47. A tentative scheme of the respiratory chains operating in Rhodopseudomonas capsulata, St. Louis and in the two respiration deficient mutants, M6 and M7 is presented.     

The effects of added purines on urate and purine synthesis de novo by isolated chick liver, kidney and lymphoid cells.

1. Isolated chick lymphoid cells, together with isolated chick liver and kidney cells, incorporate [1-14C]glycine or [14C]formate into urate. 2. Of the cell types used, bursal cells incorporate 14C into urate at the fastest rate, although the output of total urate by bursal cells is only 10% that of liver cells. 3. When suspended in Eagle's medium the incorporation of 14C into urate is inhibited by adenine and guanine up to 1 mM. In contrast, the addition of 1 mM-AMP or -GMP results in a relatively large stimulation of this incorporation. 4. Added adenine is rapidly taken up by liver cells and then released in an unmetabolized form; AMP is taken up more slowly and is rapidly metabolized. The metabolites (possibly including adenine) are then released. 5. Intracellular liver 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate is approx. 0.7mM and remains constant or falls slightly during a 3 h incubation of the cells. 6. The addition of adenine or guanine, AMP or GMP, does not alter liver intracellular 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate concentrations. Added 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate is not taken up by liver cells. 7. The results are discussed in the context of the control of urate and purine synthesis de novo in the chick.     

Single-cell, real-time measurements of extracellular oxygen and proton fluxes fromSpirogyra grevilleana

Summary We have adapted the self-referencing microelectrode technique to allow sensitive and noninvasive measurement of oxygen fluxes around single cells. The self-referencing technique is based on the translational movement of a selective microelectrode through the gradient next to the cell wall or membrane. The electrode is moved at a known frequency and between known points. The differential electrode output values are converted into a directional measurement of flux by the Fick equation. By coupling the newly developed oxygen-selective self-referencing electrochemical microelectrode (SREM-O₂) system with self-referencing ionselective proton measurements (SRIS-H⁺) we have characterized oxygen and proton fluxes from a single cell of the filamentous green algaSpirogyra gre illeana (Hass.). Oxygen showed a net efflux and protons showed a net influx when the cell was illuminated. These photosynthesis-dependent fluxes were found to be spatially associated with the chloroplasts and were sensitive to treatment with dichlorophenyldimethylurea. In the dark the directions of oxygen and proton fluxes were reversed. This oxygen influx was associated with mitochondrial respiration and was reduced by 78% when the cells was treated with 0.5 mM KCN. The residual cyanide-resistant respiration was inhibited by the application of 5 mM salicylhydroxamic acid, an inhibitor of the alternative oxidase. Similarly the cytochrome pathway was also inhibited by the presence of 20 M NO, while the cyanide-resistant alternative oxidase was not. These results demonstrate the use of the newly developed SREM-O₂ system to measure and characterize metabolic fluxes at a level of sensitivity that allows for subcellular resolution. These measurements, in conjunction with SERIS-H⁺ measurements, have led to new insights in our understanding of basic cellular physiology in plant cells.Abbreviations SRIS self-referencing ion selective - SREM self-referencing electrochemical microelectrode - ICP inductive coupled plasma spectroscopy     

Studies on the Residual Respiration not Inhibited by KCN Plus Hydroxamic Acid in Tobacco Callus Cultures

A residual respiration not inhibited by KCN plus hydroxamic acid had been observed in many plant organs and tissues. The relative O2 uptake of it was 20–30% of total respiration in tobacco callus cultures. However, there is no report concerning the nature of the residual respiration and its localization in cell. The object of this study is to elucidate the characteris- tics of this residual respiration and its localization in cell. The experimental results are as follows: 1. The additions of glycolate and glyoxylate cause a marked rise in residual respiration not inhibited by KCN (or NaN3) plus m-CLAM. 2. The O2 uptake induced by glycolate and the residual respiration is inhibited by the addition of α-hydroxy ethanesulfonate. 3. The mitochondrial respiration is completely inhibited by KCN plus m-CLAM, but no effect by adding of glycolate. 4. Oxidation reactions of glycolate and glyoxylate in supernatant are observed after mitochondria are removed. Based on the above results, it is suggested that the residual respiration not inhibited by KCN plus m-CLAM in tobacco callus cultures is primarily catalyzed by glycolic acid oxidase localized within microbodies.     

Microphotometric determination of enzymes in brain sections. IV. Isocitrate dehydrogenases

A polyvinyl alcohol-(PVA) containing incubation medium was adapted for the microphotometric determination (kinetic and end-point measurements) of the activities of NAD- and NADP-linked isocitrate dehydrogenases (ICDHs) in cryostat sections of the rat hippocampus. The following incubation medium is recommended for the quantification of NAD- and NADP- (differences in brackets) ICDHs: 100 mM DL-isocitrate, 10 mM sodium azide, 5 mM (4 mM) nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT), 7 mM NAD (4 mM NADP), 10 mM magnesium chloride, 0.25 mM phenazine methosulfate (PMS), with or without 5 mM ADP (without ADP), 23% PVA in 0.05 M Hepes buffer; the final pH was 7.5. With these incubation media a linear response of the reactions lasted at least 20 min. In kinetic and end-point measurements the same level of activities was demonstrable. The use of NaN3 (as a blocker of the respiratory chain) and PMS (as artificial electron carrier) was indispensible for the transfer of all reduction equivalents in the dehydrogenase reactions to the tetrazolium salt NBT. Furthermore, the activation by magnesium ions and the need of PVA to avoid diffusion artefacts of the loosely bound ICDHs were clearly shown. It is concluded that the quantification of ICDHs in situ could be a valuable tool for neurochemical investigations because ICDHs play a role not only in the substrate flux through the tricarboxylic acid cycle but also in providing alpha-ketoglutarate for the formation of glutamate which is an important amino acid in the brain.     

Alternative pathway of respiration in Physarum polycephalum plasmodia

The external application of inhibitors of glycolysis in the presence of KCN shows a lethal effect on plasmodia of Physarum polycephalum. However, alpha-ketoglutarate, but not succinate, maintains the contraction-relaxation cycle of plasmodial actomyosin in spite of the fact that glycolysis and cytochrome oxidase are inhibited. The oscillations supported by ketoglutarate disappear in the presence of SHAM, an inhibitor of alternative oxidase. These results imply the existence of KCN-resistant, alternative pathway of electron transport in the mitochondria of Physarum polycephalum.