Abstract
Mitochondrial volume changes induced by the antibiotic showdomycin and energized by ATP require the addition of the respiratory inhibitor antimycin A [HADLER, H. L; B. E. Claybourn and T. P. TSCHANG ; Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm., 31 : 25 (1968)]. The requirement for the antibiotic antimycin A may be replaced by the uncoupling agent 2, 4-dinitrophenol. Indeed, damped oscillatory ATP energized mitochondrial volume changes may be induced by the combination of showdomycin plus dinitrophenol. It is proposed that both antimycin A and dinitrophenol expose the same strategically located mitochondrial thiol group which conjugates with the maleimide moiety present in showdomycin. This unexpected flux of useful chemical energy dependent upon dinitrophenol is contrary to several suggestions in the literature regarding the mode of action of dinitrophenol. The postulated high energy intermediate cleaved or not formed because of the action of dinitrophenol [LARDY, H. A. and C. A. ELVEHJEM; Ann. Rev. Biochem. 14:1 (1945), Slater, E. C. ; Proc. Int. Congr. Biochem. 5th Moscow, 1961, 5 : 325, (1963)] is now indicated to be a thiol conjugate which meshes with the respiratory chain.
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