Purified potato tuber (Solanum tuberosum L. cv Bintje) mitochondria contain soluble, highly latent NAD+-and NADP+-isocitrate dehydrogenases, NAD+-and NADP+-malate dehydrogenases, as well as an NADPH-specific glutathione reductase (160,25, 7200, 160, and 16 nanomoles NAD(P)H per minute and milligram protein, respectively). The two isocitrate dehydrogenase activities, but not the two malate dehydrogenase activities, could be separated by ammonium sulfate precipitation. Thus, the NADP+-isocitrate dehydrogenase activity is due to a separate matrix enzyme, whereas the NADP -malate dehydrogenase activity is probably due to unspecificity of the NAD+-malate dehydrogenase. NADP -specific isocitrate dehydrogenase had much lower Kms for NADP+ and isocitrate (5.1 and 10.7 micromolar, respectively) than the NAD -specific enzyme (101 micromolar for NAD and 184 micromolar for isocitrate). A broad activity optimum at pH 7.4 to 9.0 was found for the NADP+-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase whereas the NAD+-specific enzyme had a sharp optimum at pH 7.8. Extemally added NADP+ stimulated both isocitrate and malate oxidation by intact mitochondria under conditions where extemal NADPH oxidation was inhibited. This shows that (a) NADP+ is taken up by the mitochondria across the inner membrane and into the matrix, and (b) NADP+-reducing activities of malate dehydrogenase and the NADP+-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase in the matrix can contribute to electron transport in intact plant mitochondria. The physiological relevance of mitochondrial NADP(H) and soluble NADP(H)-consuming enzymes is discussed in relation to other known mitochondrial NADP(H)-utilizing enzymes.Plant mitochondria are generally held to utilize only NAD(H) as the reducing equivalent for its respiratory processes, whereas NADP(H) is considered to be associated mainly with the bio-and photosynthetic reactions of the cytoplasm and chloroplasts (10). NADP(H) also takes part in maintenance, as the reduced form is the substrate of GR2, reducing GSSG to GSH. GSH functions as an antioxidant in the plant cell. In chloroplasts it interacts with dehydroascorbate reductase and ascorbate peroxidase to remove H202 formed in the light reaction, but in the rest of the cell it is controversial whether GSH is oxidized by that mechanism or by GSH peroxidase when scavenging H202 (27).NADPH-specific GR has recently been found and characterized in mitochondria from pea leaves (7 generated by autooxidation of redox components in the mitochondrial electron transport chain by 02 (9), either directly or through the superoxide dismutase with superoxide radicals as intermediates; GR might participate in the removal of the H202 formed.Another NADP(H)-utilizing enzyme, the nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase, has also been reported to be present in plant mitochondria (3). The transhydrogenase in animals is an energetically coupled membrane-bound enzyme catalyzing the conversion of NADH + NADP+ into NAD+ + NADPH and vice versa (12). This reaction can also be accomplished without proton...