| Abstract: | Washed and purified turnip mitochondria oxidize malate withrespiratory control and ADP: O values approaching 3.0 and producepyruvate as the principal product. Oxaloacetate is also producedin significant amounts but is removed by an endogenous mechanism.Malate dehydrogenase appears to be important to the oxidationof malate but requires the removal of oxaloacetate. During malateoxidation the mitochondria undergo configurational changes similarto those observed in animal mitochondria. Both ‘rightside-out’ and ‘inside-out’ submitochondrialparticles have been prepared. Right side-out particles oxidizemalate in the same way as intact mitochondria, whereas the inside-outparticles have a biphasic oxidation, the first phase producingoxaloacetate and the second, NAD-requiring phase producing pyruvate.It is concluded that malate oxidation is a complex process usingseveral enzymes located in the matrix compartment with a minorcomponent possibly on the outer face of the inner membrane. |
