Abstract
Pressman and Lardy (1955) have demonstrated that maximum rates of respiration and phosphorylation in liver mitochondria could only be obtained in the presence of potassium. The potassium effect was found to be enhanced by the addition of sensitizing agents, such as microsomal particles. The above mentioned authors also showed a correlation between the effect of the sensitizers and loss of intramitochondrial potassium. These findings, and a previous observation that microsomal particles induce swelling ( Avi-Dor, 1960), prompted us to investigate the effect of K + ions on swelling of liver mitochondria. This report presents results which show that the time-course of swelling is greatly affected by the nature of the alkali metal ion present in the suspending medium, potassium ions causing the highest degree of stabilization. The effect of potassium depends on the presence of ATP, it is abolished by ouabain, oligomycin and 2,4-DNP, and it is most prominent under hypotonic conditions.
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