Mitochondria are unique organelles with major role in cellular function, not only as a major site of ATP production, but also by regulating energy expenditure, apoptosis signaling, and production of reactive oxygen species. They play a central role in determining the point-of-no-return for the apoptotic process. There is accumulating evidence supporting a direct link between mitochondria, oxida...

The capacity of rat liver mitochondria to transport and metabolize B6 compounds has been studied. In B6-sufficient rats, 20% of the B6 content in liver is located in mitochondria. The ratio of pyridoxal-P to pyridoxamine-P in isolated mitochondria is increased with 2-oxoglutarate as substrate and decreased with glutamate. Isolated mitochondria contain pyridoxal-P(pyridoxamine-P) hydrolase activ...

Electron microscope studies were carried out with the adrenocortical carcinoma 494 and normal adrenal cortex tissue. The mitochondria of the tumor cells showed marked differences when compared with mitochondria from fasciculata cells of the normal adrenal cortex. These differences were primarily related to mitochondrial number and crista structure. Corticosterone production in isolated tumor ce...

Mitochondria, as the main site of respiration and the conservation of oxidative energy through the formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), exert an important controlling influence on the pattern of cellular metabolism. This phosphorylation system defines to a considerable degree the thermodynamic efficiency of the cell and serves as a sensitive regulator of energy turnover, gearing oxygen co...

Recently, marked oxygen dependence of respiration by isolated mitochondria after exposure to prolonged hypoxia has been described. Because mitochondrial oxygen-dependent respiration could significantly influence oxygen consumption during critical illness, we sought to confirm the oxygen-dependent behavior of mitochondria. We hypothesized that mitochondria isolated during sepsis would exhibit in...

hnRNP K protein, which localizes to the nucleus, cytoplasm and mitochondria, is involved in the various cellular processes that compose gene expression. We used a SAGE-based assay to profile RNAs associated with hnRNP K protein in rat mitochondria. RNA was isolated from mitoplasts obtained from highly purified and RNase-treated mitochondria. Total RNA and RNA associated with hnRNP K protein wer...

The complex gene expression mechanisms that occur in plant mitochondria, such as RNA editing and splicing, are not yet well understood. RNA editing in higher plant mitochondria is a highly specific process which modifies mRNA sequences by C-to-U conversions. It has been suggested that in some cases this process is required for splicing. Here, we use an experimental model based on the introducti...

Nodule mitochondria are highly sensitive to the respiratory inhibitor antimycine A. The antimycine-resistant oxygen uptake is 5–10% of the rate of control mitochondrial respiration. The high sensitivity to this inhibitor means that non-phosphorilating pathways are absent from the nodules and the energetic effectiveness of mitochondria is very high. The latter is proved by the good respiratory c...

The amount of readily exchangeable Ca2+ in mitochondria of an isolated working rat heart is less than 10 ng-ions/g heart. We therefore conclude that either no Ca2+ enters mitochondria or that the Ca+ which does enter is removed continuously. Using Sr2+ and Mn2+, we obtained evidence that the mitochondrial Na+-Ca2+ exchanger was indeed operational in releasing metal from mitochondria of the hear...

The in vitro biological activity of secalonic acid D, a mycotoxin from Aspergillus ochraceus, was studied to assess its cytotoxicity for isolated rat liver mitochondria. Secalonic acid D uncoupled the oxidative phosphorylation of mitochondria and caused a mild inhibition of state 3 respiration. Secalonic acid D weakly enhanced latent ATPase activity in mitochondria but suppressed 2,4-dinitrophe...