Time and charge/pH-dependent activation of K+ channel-mediated K+ influx and K+/H+ exchange in guinea pig heart isolated mitochondria; role in bioenergetic stability

Mitochondria play an important role not only in producing energy for the cell but also for regulating mitochondrial and cell function depending on the cell's needs and environment. Uptake of cations, anions, and substrates requires a stable, polarized transmembrane charge potential (ΔΨ_m). Chemiosmosis requires ion exchangers to remove Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, PO₄^3?, and other charged species that enter mitochondria. Knowledge of the kinetics of mitochondrial (m) cation channels and exchangers is important in understanding their roles in regulating mitochondrial chemiosmosis and bioenergetics. The influx/efflux of K⁺, the most abundant mitochondrial cation, alters mitochondrial volume and shape by bringing in anions and H₂O by osmosis. The effects of K⁺ uptake through ligand-specific mK⁺ channels stimulated/inhibited by agonists/antagonists on mitochondrial volume (swelling/contraction) are well known. However, a more important role for K⁺ influx is likely its effects on H⁺ cycling and bioenergetics facilitated by mitochondrial (m) K⁺/H⁺ exchange (mKHE), though the kinetics and consequences of K⁺ efflux by KHE are not well described. We hypothesized that a major role of K⁺ influx/efflux is stimulation of respiration via the influx of H⁺ by KHE. We proposed to modulate KHE activity by energizing guinea pig heart isolated mitochondria and by altering the mK⁺ cycle to capture changes in mitochondrial volume, pH_m, ΔΨ_m, and respiration that would reflect a role for H⁺ influx via KHE to regulate bioenergetics. To test this, mitochondria were suspended in a 150 mM K⁺ buffer at pH 6.9, or in a 140 mM Cs⁺ buffer at pH 7.6 or 6.9 with added 10 mM K⁺, minimal Ca²⁺ and free of Na⁺. O₂ content was measured by a Clark electrode, and pH_m, ΔΨ_m, and volume, were measured by fluorescence spectrophotometry and light-scattering. Adding pyruvic acid (PA) alone caused increases in volume and respiration and a rapid decrease in the transmembrane pH gradient (ΔpH_m = pH_in–pH_ext) at pH_ext 6.9> > 7.6, so that ΔΨ_m was charged and maintained. BK_Ca agonist NS1619 and antagonist paxilline modified these effects, and KHE inhibitor quinine and K⁺ ionophore valinomycin depolarized ΔΨ_m. We postulate that K⁺ efflux-induced H⁺ influx via KHE causes an inward H⁺ leak that stimulates respiration, but at buffer pH 6.9 also utilizes the energy of ΔpH_m, the smaller component of the overall proton motive force, ΔμH⁺. Thus ΔpH_m establishes and maintains the ΔΨ_m required for utilization of substrates, entry of all cations, and for oxidative phosphorylation. Thus, K⁺ influx/efflux appears to play a pivotal role in regulating energetics while maintaining mitochondrial ionic balance and volume homeostasis.