The oxidation isotherms for citrate and isocitrate by potato (Solanm tuberosum var. Russet Burbank) mitochondria in the presence of NAD differ markedly. Citrate oxidation shows positively cooperative kinetics with a sigmoid isotherm, whereas isocitrate oxidation shows MichaelisMenten kinetics at concentrations up to 3 millimolar, and cooperative kinetics thereafter up to 30 millimolar. In the absence of exogenous NAD, the isocitrate isotherm is sigmoid throughout. The dual isotherm for isocitrate oxidation in the presence of exogenous NAD reflects the operation of two forms of isocitrate dehydrogenase, one in the matrix and one associated with the inner mitochondrial membrane. Whereas in intact mitochondria the activity of the membrane-bound enzyme is insensitive to rotenone, and to butylmalonate, an inhibitor of organic acid transport, isocitrate oxidation by the soluble matrix enzyme is inhibited by both. The membrane-bound isocitrate dehydrogenase does not operate through the NADH dehydrogenase on the outer face of the inner mitochondrial membrane, and is thus considered to face inward. The regulatory potential of isocitrate dehydrogenase in potato mitochondria may be realized by the apportionment of the enzyme between its soluble and bound forms.In an early study, fresh potato slices were found to lack full' tricarboxylic acid cycle activity in consequence of their inability to oxidize citrate to a-ketoglutarate (15). At the same time NADlinked isocitrate dehydrogenase was shown to exhibit positively cooperative kinetics (12,22), and accordingly, ICDH2 was proposed as a potential regulator ofthe tricarboxylic acid cycle subject to modulation and control by an array of cofactors and metabolic intermediates (1,6,8,9,12). Subsequently, Ribereau-Gayon and Laties (20,21) demonstrated the sigmoidicity of the isotherm for isocitrate oxidation in potato mitochondria together with the socalled activating effect of citrate, which both lowered the SO.5 for isocitrate and seemingly converted the isotherm from sigmoid to hyperbolic (see below). During this period, the details of di-and tricarboxylic acid transport across the inner mitochondrial membrane received exhaustive attention, and it was established that carrier-mediated tricarboxylic acid uptake into the mitochondrion was dependent upon concomitant outward transport of dicarboxylic acid-malate in particular-the latter, in turn, being taken up from the milieu in exchange for intramitochondrial phosphate (3