Stimulation of mitochondrial respiration by physiological concentrations of Ca2+ was studied to determine which components of oxidative phosphorylation are affected by Ca2+. The kinetic dependence of the respiratory chain, phosphorylation subsystem and proton leak on the mitochondrial membrane potential in isolated rat heart mitochondria respiring on 2-oxoglutarate or succinate was measured at two different concentrations of external free Ca2+. The results show that proton leak is not directly affected by Ca2+, but that both the respiratory and phosphorylation systems can be directly stimulated by Ca2+ depending on conditions. Although Ca2+ directly stimulates the phosphorylation system, this has relatively little effect on respiration rate with 2-oxoglutarate in States 3 and 4 because the subsystem has little control over respiration. However, in intermediate states, the phosphorylation system has greater control and Ca2+ stimulation of this system contributes substantially to the stimulation of respiration and phosphorylation. In the case of succinate oxidation neither the respiratory subsystem nor the phosphorylation system is stimulated by Ca2+.

Changes in the kinetics and regulation of oxidative phosphorylation were characterized in isolated rat liver mitochondria after 2 months of ethanol consumption. Mitochondrial energy metabolism was conceptually divided into three groups of reactions, either producing protonmotive force (Deltap) (the respiratory subsystem) or consuming it (the phosphorylation subsystem and the proton leak). Manifestation of ethanol-induced mitochondrial malfunctioning of the respiratory subsystem was observed with various substrates; the respiration rate in State 3 was inhibited by 27+/-4% with succinate plus amytal, by 20+/-4% with glutamate plus malate, and by 17+/-2% with N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine/ascorbate. The inhibition of the respiratory activity correlated with the lower activities of cytochrome c oxidase, the bc(1) complex, and the ATP synthase in mitochondria of ethanol-fed rats. The block of reactions consuming the Deltap to produce ATP (the phosphorylating subsystem) was suppressed after 2 months of ethanol feeding, whereas the mitochondrial proton leak was not affected. The contributions of Deltap supply (the respiratory subsystem) and Deltap demand (the phosphorylation and the proton leak) to the control of the respiratory flux were quantified as the control coefficients of these subsystems. In State 3, the distribution of control exerted by different reaction blocks over respiratory flux was not significantly affected by ethanol diet, despite the marked changes in the kinetics of individual functional units of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. This suggests the operation of compensatory mechanisms, when control redistributes among the different components within the same subsystem.

Changes in the kinetics and regulation of oxidative phosphorylation were characterized in isolated rat liver mitochondria after 2 months of ethanol consumption. Mitochondrial energy metabolism was conceptually divided into three groups of reactions, either producing protonmotive force (∆p) (the respiratory subsystem) or consuming it (the phosphorylation subsystem and the proton leak). Manifestation of ethanol-induced mitochondrial malfunctioning of the respiratory subsystem was observed with various substrates ; the respiration rate in State 3 was inhibited by 27p4 % with succinate plus amytal, by 20p4 % with glutamate plus malate, and by 17p2 % with N,N,Nh,Nhtetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine\ascorbate. The inhibition of the respiratory activity correlated with the lower activities of cytochrome c oxidase, the bc " complex, and the ATP synthase in mitochondria of ethanol-fed rats. The block of reactions consuming the ∆p to produce ATP (the phosphorylating subsystem)