Transport of H+ in mitochondria induced by the uptake of sulfite, sulfate and thiosulfate

The addition of sulphite to rat-liver mitochondria (RLM) causes an uptake of H+ that is unaffected by NEM and butylmalonate. The uptake of H+ induced by sulphate or thiosulphate is abolished by NEM and butylmalonate in freshly isolated RLM, whereas it is inhibited only by butylmalonate in sulphite-pretreated mitochondria. The data suggest that sulphite is cotransported with H+, whereas the movement of H+ associated to the uptake of sulphate or thiosulphate by RLM is mediated by either phosphate or sulphite.