The electrophoretic behaviour of mitochondria from kidney and liver of rats

1. The electrophoretic mobility values for mitochondria prepared from rat kidney and liver measured in 0.125m-potassium chloride-0.02m-tris, pH7.4, are: -0.78(s.e.m.+/-0.02)mu/sec./v/cm. (29 experiments) and -1.06(s.e.m.+/-0.01) mu/sec./v/cm. (21 experiments) respectively. 2. These mobility values are unaffected by washing and spontaneous swelling at 25 degrees , indicating a stable electrokinetic surface. 3. The mobility of rat-kidney mitochondria is unaffected by thyroxine-induced swelling, or by the state of hydration of the rat. 4. pH-mobility curves show similar surface ionogenic groups for kidney and liver mitochondria; their isoelectric points are pH3.9 and pH4.4 respectively.