Regulation of Succinate Dehydrogenase in Higher Plants

Abstract

The effect of various agents on the activation of succinate dehydrogenase in cauliflower (Brassica oleracea) and mung bean (Phaseolus aureus) mitochondria and in sonicated particles has been investigated. Reduced coenzyme Q(10), inosine diphosphate, inosine triphosphate, acid pH, and anions activate the enzyme in mitochondria from higher plants in the same manner as in mammalian preparations. Significant differences have been detected in the behavior of plant and animal preparations in the effects of ATP, ADP, NADH, NAD-linked substrates, and of 2, 4-dinitrophenol on the state of activation of the dehydrogenase. In mammalian mitochondria ATP activates, whereas ADP does not, and the ATP effect is shown only in intact mitochondria. In mung bean and cauliflower mitochondria, both ATP and ADP activate and the effect is also shown in sonicated and frozen-thawed preparations. In sonicated mung bean mitochondria NADH causes complete activation, as in mammalian submitochondrial particles, but in sonicated cauliflower mitochondria activation by NADH is incomplete, as is also true of intact, anaerobic cauliflower mitochondria. Moreover, neither NAD-linked substrates nor a combination of these with NADH can fully activate the enzyme in cauliflower mitochondria. In contrast to mammalian mitochondria, succinate dehydrogenase is not deactivated in cauliflower or mung beam mitochondria under the oxidized conditions brought about by uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation by 2,4-dinitrophenol.