Phosphate Concentration In Medium Research Articles

Role of nutritional status of the cell in pH regulated dimorphism ofCandida albicans

Stationary phase cells of Candida albicans are under the control of glucose repression, as indicated by the inhibition of germ tube formation by glucose. This 'glucose effect' was absent in starved cells which were derived from similar stationary phase cells. Moreover, starved cells required glucose for germ tube formation, suggesting that it was depletion of energy reserves which was the main factor overriding the 'glucose repression machinery' during starvation. High concentration of phosphate in Lee's medium was the reason for the reduced ability of the starved cells to form germ tubes at pH 4.5 (20% of cells compared to 88% at pH 6.8). However, when phosphate was replaced or its concentration reduced, germ tube formation occurred as frequently at pH 4.5 as at pH 6.8. This 'phosphate effect' was not observed in stationary phase cells, as they were already repressed by glucose.

A study of N- and P-dependence of nikkomycin production in continuous culture with immobilized cells.

The influence of nitrogen and phosphate on the biosynthesis of nikkomycin was studied in chemically defined medium. Cells of Streptomyces tendae were immobilized on porous glass particles in a fluidized-bed reactor for continuous production of nikkomycin. Phosphate had no significant influence on the biosynthesis of nikkomycin. However, even a very low concentration of phosphate in the production medium (0.0125 mmol/l) resulted in microbial growth on the particles. The concentration of nitrogen was highly effective in the regulation of the biosynthesis of nikkomycin. A high level of antibiotic production (maximum 3.05 mg/g dry cell weight per hour) was maintained for a period of about 200 h in a medium that contained nitrogen at a concentration of 0.2 g NH4NO3/l.

Sodium-phosphate cotransport in OK cells: inhibition by PTH and "adaptation" to low phosphate

Sodium-phosphate (Na-Pi) cotransport is principally regulated by parathyroid hormone (PTH) and by the intrinsic ability to "adapt" to ambient phosphate concentration. In the present study, these two control mechanisms were examined in a cloned opossum kidney (OK) cell line. PTH inhibited Na-Pi cotransport, half-maximal inhibition at 5 x 10(-12) M, by fractionally similar amounts irrespective of the initial transport rates predetermined by "adaptation" to media phosphate concentration. At maximal concentrations of PTH (10(-8) M), the residual Na-Pi cotransport activity was higher in cells exposed to low-phosphate media. Cells preexposed to PTH (10(-8) M) or dibutyryl adenosine 3'-5'-cyclic monophosphate (DBcAMP) (10(-5) M) and forskolin (10(-5) M) increase transport (adaptation) by fractionally similar amounts as control cells for any given external phosphate concentration. The protein kinase C inhibitor, staurosporine, prevented PTH action but did not alter the ability to adapt Na-Pi cotransport in response to low media phosphate concentration. These data support the notion that regulation of Na-Pi cotransport by PTH and the adaptive response to available media phosphate concentration are distinct regulatory control mechanisms.

Expression of β‐lactamase by recombinant Escherichia coli strains containing plasmids of different sizes—effects of pH, phosphate, and dissolved oxygen

The characteristics of growth and synthesis of plasmid-encoded protein were studied for strains of recombinant E. coli JM103 which carried the beta-lactamase gene on plasmids of different sizes. The plasmids used included the vector pUC8 and its recombinant derivatives containing varying-sized inserts of Drosophila DNA (not expressed in E. coli). Luria broth (LB) and a minimal medium (M9) supplemented in some cases with additional inorganic phosphate were used as growth media. There was no evidence of segregational instability in these experiments, where no antibiotic selection pressure was employed. Responses of the recombinant strains to variations in environmental parameters including pH, phosphate concentration in the medium, and aeration rate were examined. While the cell growth rate in LB decreased with pH in the range 7.0-8.0, the bulk beta-lactamase activity was maximized at an intermediate pH. The recombinant cell growth rate decreases with increasing plasmid size in the minimal medium, while such decrease is not significant when a rich medium such as LB is used. There is an intermediate plasmid size in the range studied (2.7-8.7 kb), at which beta-lactamase activity is maximum. While reduction in aeration rate (which determines the dissolved oxygen level) is detrimental for cell growth, it is beneficial for beta-lactamase synthesis. The bulk beta-lactamase activity therefore exhibits a maximum with respect to aeration rate. Cell growth and beta-lactamase production are affected in a similar manner by phosphate concentration in the minimal medium and therefore both are maximized at the same phosphate concentration. This investigation demonstrates clearly how the production of a recombinant plasmid-encoded protein can be maximized by proper manipulation of culture conditions and how it is affected by plasmid size.

Mapping of the Escherichia coli acid glucose-1-phosphatase gene agp and analysis of its expression in vivo by use of an agp-phoA protein fusion

The agp gene of Escherichia coli encodes an acid glucose-1-phosphatase, one of the numerous phosphatases optimally active between pH 4 and 6 found in the periplasmic space of this bacterium. An agp-phoA protein fusion linked to a gene conferring kanamycin resistance was inserted into the chromosome in place of agp by homologous recombination and was mapped to minute 22.6. Because the activity of glucose-1-phosphatase cannot be measured accurately in whole cells, the alkaline phosphatase activity of the agp-phoA hybrid protein was used to monitor the expression of the chromosomal agp gene. The expression of agp was subject to catabolite repression but was unaffected by the concentration of inorganic phosphate in the growth medium. The product of the agp gene was required for growth on glucose-1-phosphate as the sole carbon source, a function for which alkaline phosphatase or other acid phosphatases cannot substitute.

High levels of double-stranded transferred DNA (T-DNA) processing from an intact nopaline Ti plasmid.

To obtain bacterial-mediated oncogenic transformation of plants, the transferred DNA (T-DNA) of the tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens is transferred to its plant host cells during infection. The initial phases of transformation involve the processing of the T-DNA in the bacterial cell after induction of the vir genes located on the Ti plasmid. The kinetics and conditions of this processing were examined and upon induction with acetosyringone up to 40% of the left and right borders of the T-DNA were cleaved. This cleavage was dependent upon virA, virG, and VirD and was rec-independent. Processed T-DNA was observed within 30 min after induction and was delayed by an increased concentration of phosphate in the induction medium. When DNA was isolated in the absence of protease treatment, the DNA fragment corresponding to the left side of the cut at both the left and right border region exhibited gel retardation, suggesting one or more "pilot" proteins may be involved in T-DNA transfer. Although the relative abundance of a processed product does not necessarily imply relative importance, the preponderance of double-stranded cleavage products suggests that double-stranded T-DNA should be considered as a possible intermediate in T-DNA transfer.

Stimulation of monoclonal antibody production by human-human hybridoma cells with an elevated concentration of potassium or sodium phosphate in serum-free medium

Potassium or sodium phosphate was found to stimulate the production of human monoclonal antibody by human-human hybridoma HB4C5. The addition of 15 mM Na-phosphate (pH 7.4) into serum-free culture medium increased the antibody production up to 4-fold, when seeded at cell density of 1×10(5) cells/ml in dishes. At the higher cell density of 5×10(5) cells/ml, K-phosphate was more effective than Na-phosphate, at the same concentration. In large-scale continuous culture, the addition of 10 mM Na-phosphate into serum-free culture medium stimulated antibody production by HB4C5 cells 6-fold.

Blood coagulation and bone metabolism: some characteristic of the bone resorptive effect of thrombin in mouse calvarial bones in vitro

Chronic inflammatory processes are often associated with bone resorption. Stimulated by the current great interest in the role of coagulation factors in inflammation and immune injury, we have studied the effect of thrombin on mouse calvarial bones in vitro. Thrombin caused a dose-dependent (0.1–7 U/ml) stimulation of 45Ca release from neonatal mouse calvarial bones. Thrombin also stimulated the mobilization of stable calcium and inorganic phosphate, the release of 3H from [ 3H]proline-labelled calvaria, the production of lactate and the release of the lysosomal enzymes, β-glucuronidase and β- N-acetylglucosaminidase. Thrombin also enhanced 45Ca release from fetal rat long bones, although this bone resorption assay was less sensitive to thrombin than the mouse calvarial system. The bone resorption stimulatory activity of thrombin in mouse calvaria could be inhibited by calcitonin and an increased concentration of phosphate in the culture medium. Thrombin-induced 45Ca release in mouse calvaria was sensitive to inhibition by hydrocortisone and dexamethasone. By contrast, 45Ca release response to parathyroid hormone was insensitive to corticosteroids. The prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors indomethacin, meclofenamic and naproxen and 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid reduced 45Ca release from thrombin-stimulated calvaria. However, significant stimulation by thrombin could be achieved also in bones treated with inhibitors of arachidonate metabolism. The results obtained suggest that thrombin can stimulate cell-mediated bone resorption by an osteoclast-dependent mechanism. The mechanism of action may involve both prostaglandin-dependent and prostaglandin-independent pathways. Our findings indicate that thrombin may contribute to the bone resorptive processes seen in periodontal diesease and rheumatoid arthritis.

Bradykinin, a new potential mediator of inflammation-induced bone resorption. Studies of the effects on mouse calvarial bones and articular cartilage in vitro.

The effect of bradykinin and desArg9-bradykinin on bone was studied in cultures of calvarial bones taken from 6-7-day-old mice. Bradykinin, at and above a 3-nM concentration, caused a dose-dependent stimulation of bone mineral mobilization and matrix degradation. Bradykinin-stimulated resorption was inhibited by calcitonin, an increased concentration of phosphate in the culture medium, hydrocortisone, dexamethasone, indomethacin, meclofenamic acid, naproxen, and 5, 8, 11, 14-eicosatetraenoic acid. The results suggest that bradykinin stimulates osteoclast-mediated bone resorption by a process that is dependent on endogenous prostaglandin production. The stimulatory effect of bradykinin, but not of parathyroid hormone and prostaglandin E2, was potentiated by the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, BPP5a. Treatment with carboxypeptidase B did not affect the capacity of the peptide to stimulate 45Ca release. DesArg9-bradykinin (1 mumole/liter) stimulated 45Ca release to the same degree as did bradykinin. Bradykinin (3 microM) did not affect the degradation of cartilage proteoglycans, as assessed by the release of 35S-sulfate from prelabeled calf articular cartilage in organ culture. These findings suggest that generation of bradykinin in inflammatory lesions of rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis may contribute to the bone resorptive process seen in the joints and alveolar bone; however, bradykinin does not directly activate chondrocytes into a catabolic state.

THE PHYSIOLOGY OF BASIDIOMYCETE LINEAR ORGANS: I. PHOSPHATE UPTAKE BY CORDS AND MYCELIUM IN THE LABORATORY AND THE FIELD.

Phosphate uptake as a function of external medium concentration has been determined for mycelium grown in the laboratory, segments of cords collected from the field and cords in the field for a range of wood-decay basidiomycetes. Hofstee plots in all cases can be interpreted as indicating the presence of two uptake systems. Uptake of phosphate by mycelium is reduced by increasing the concentration of phosphate in the growth medium from 10 μM to 10 mM. The major portion absorbed by cords in the field remains within the segment exposed to radioactive solution, suggesting conversion of the phosphate to an immobile form unavailable for translocation.

Transport and metabolism of adenosine in human erythrocytes: effect of transport inhibitors and regulation by phosphate.

Rapid kinetic techniques were applied to determine the effect of transport inhibitors on the transport and metabolism of adenosine in human red cells. Dipyridamole inhibited the equilibrium exchange of 500 microM adenosine by deoxycoformycin-treated cells in a similar concentration dependent manner as the equilibrium exchange and zero-trans influx of uridine with 50% inhibition being observed at about 20 nM. Intracellular phosphorylation of adenosine at an extracellular concentration of 5 microM was inhibited only by dipyridamole concentrations greater than or equal to 100 nM, which inhibited transport about 95%. Lower concentrations of dipyridamole actually stimulated adenosine phosphorylation, because the reduced influx of adenosine lessened substrate inhibition of adenosine kinase. When the cells were not treated with deoxycoformycin, greater than 95% of the adenosine entering the cells at a concentration of 100 microM became deaminated. A 95-98% inhibition of adenosine transport by treatment with dipyridamole, dilazep, or nitrobenzylthioinosine inhibited its deamination practically completely, whereas adenosine phosphorylation was inhibited only 50-85%. Whether adenosine entering the cells is phosphorylated or deaminated is strictly based on the kinetic properties of the responsible enzymes, substrate inhibition of adenosine kinase, and the absolute intracellular steady state concentration of adenosine attained. The latter approaches the extracellular concentration of adenosine, since transport is not rate limiting, except when modulated by transport inhibitors. In spite of the extensive adenosine deamination in cells incubated with 100 microM adenosine, little IMP accumulated intracellularly when the medium phosphate concentration was 1 mM, but IMP formation increased progressively with increase in phosphate concentration to 80 mM. The intracellular phosphoribosylation of adenine and hypoxanthine were similarly dependent on phosphate concentration. The results indicate that adenosine is the main purine source for erythrocytes and is very efficiently taken up and converted to nucleotides under physiological conditions, whereas hypoxanthine and adenine are not significantly salvaged. Hypoxanthine resulting from nucleotide turnover in these cells is expected to be primarily released from the cells. Adenosine was also dephosphorylated in human red cells presumably by 5'-methylthioadenosine phosphorylase, but this reaction seems without physiological significance as it occurs only at high adenosine and phosphate concentrations and if deamination is inhibited.

Factors affecting growth physiology of Bacillus thuringiensis

Physiological studies on Bacillus thuringiensis var. entomocidus revealed the failure of the organism to survive or sporulate under low aeration levels, notably in the presence of high sugar concentrations. Cell counts, sporulation titers and potency of resulting endotoxin were found to vary with the level of aeration. The incremental feeding of glucose with continuous pH adjustment prevented cell injury and death which results from prolonged exposure to acidity liberated at the high sugar concentrations which occur when glucose is added batchwise. Increasing of dipotassium phosphate concentration in growth medium increased the potency of the resulting endotoxin.

Ethylene formation by cultures of Escherichia coli.

Growth of Escherichia coli strain B SPAO on a medium containing glucose, NH4Cl and methionine resulted in production of ethylene into the culture headspace. When methionine was excluded from the medium there was little formation of ethylene. Ethylene formation in methionine-containing medium occurred for a brief period at the end of exponential growth. Ethylene formation was stimulated by increasing the medium concentration of Fe3+ when it was chelated to EDTA. Lowering the medium phosphate concentration also appeared to stimulate ethylene formation. Ethylene formation was inhibited in cultures where NH4Cl remained in the stationary phase. Synthesis of the ethylene-forming enzyme system was determined by harvesting bacteria at various stages of growth and assaying the capacity of the bacteria to form ethylene from methionine. Ethylene forming capacity was greatest in cultures harvested immediately before and during the period of optimal ethylene formation. It is concluded that ethylene production by E. coli exhibits the typical properties of secondary metabolism.

Regulation of glycolysis in rat aorta.

Certain factors that might contribute to the regulation of the rate of glycolysis by rat aorta were investigated. Rat aortic rings were incubated with [14C]glucose, and the release of [14C]lactate was determined. There was good agreement between the lactate production estimated by enzymatic assay and by [14C]lactate release, suggesting that almost all the lactate produced under our experimental conditions was derived from exogenous glucose. When the glucose concentration in the medium was 10 mM or higher, the rate of glucose transport did not limit the rate of lactate production. In most cases studies were done both aerobically and anaerobically. In Hanks' Balanced Salt Solution the aerobic rate of lactate production was 18% of the anaerobic rate. We tested the effects on glycolysis of agents that alter ATP generation by mitochondria or ATP splitting by Na+-K+-ATPase or the mitochondrial ATPase. Under aerobic conditions, ouabain (5 mM) caused a 54% decrease in lactate production, and gramicidin (5 micrograms/ml) caused a 45% increase. Under anaerobic conditions, neither ouabain nor gramicidin affected lactate production. Aerobically dinitrophenol (25 microM) and carboxyatractyloside (0.5 mM) caused substantial increases in lactate production, 72 and 98% respectively. Under anaerobic conditions the effects of dinitrophenol and carboxyatractyloside were much smaller, with dinitrophenol causing a 15% increase and carboxyatractyloside a 12% decrease in lactate production. Increasing the concentration of phosphate in the incubation medium caused marked increases in lactate production. Both aerobically and anaerobically, shifting from 1.3 to 50 mM phosphate in the incubation medium caused a 3.5-fold increase in lactate production.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Possible role of Pi supply in mitochondrial actions of glucagon.

Glucagon is able to diminish the net release of inorganic phosphate (Pi) occurring on incubation of isolated hepatocytes from 48-h-starved rats. Concomitantly the hormone increases the cellular Pi content. This is associated with a rise of Pi in the cytosolic fraction. Other hormonal effectors like phenylephrine, vasopressin and angiotensin II exert a smaller and transient effect as compared to glucagon. It is proposed that this increase in Pi availability to the mitochondria, by favouring substrate level phosphorylation at the succinyl-CoA synthetase step plays a role in the development of the metabolite pattern found in the mitochondrial matrix space after exposure of hepatocytes to glucagon or the above agents. With regard to the glutamate level this view is evidenced by the finding that its hormone-dependent decrease was inversely correlated to the respective increase in the cytosolic Pi concentration. Further evidence is provided by experiments with isolated mitochondria incubated under state-3 conditions at medium Pi concentrations corresponding to those metabolically active in the cytosolic compartment of control and glucagon-stimulated hepatocytes, being 2 mM and 3 mM, respectively. Increasing medium phosphate concentration from 2 mM to 3 mM caused a marked decrease in the level of succinyl-CoA and increased the rates of 2-oxoglutarate utilization and of malate and phosphoenolpyruvate production. Citrulline synthesis also was found to be stimulated at 3 mM Pi. Taken together our results suggest a role of Pi supply in mitochondrial actions of glucagon in intact hepatocytes. Moreover, they could contribute to a better interpretation of glucagon effects on isolated mitochondria from hormone-pretreated liver cells.

Effects of phosphate on calcium release, lysosomal enzyme activity in the medium, and osteoclast morphometry in cultured fetal rat bones

The relationship between changes in medium phosphate concentration and three indices of cell-mediated resorption in fetal rat bone cultures—calcium release, the activity of the lysosomal enzyme β-glucuronidase in the medium, and the morphology of osteoclasts—has been investigated. Bones treated with either 1 mM or 4 mM phosphate, with or without parathyroid hormone, were examined. After 2 h of culture we found the predominant effect of changes in medium phosphate to be on non-cell-mediated resorption. However, after 24 h changes in medium phosphate affected both cell-mediated and non-cell-mediated resorptive mechanisms. The 24 h effects of phosphate were not associated with either a change in the activity of β-glucuronidase in the medium or in the area of the ruffled border of osteoclasts, but 4 mM phosphate did prevent parathyroid hormone from increasing the area of the clear zone of osteoclasts. These results imply that changes in medium phosphate alter cell-mediated resorption by affecting mechanisms that are independent of increases in β-glucuronidase activity or changes in the ruffled border of osteoclasts but that may involve effects on the clear zone of osteoclasts.

Effects of phosphate and 1,25(OH)2D3 on in vitro bone collagen synthesis in the hypophosphatemic mouse.

Calvarial bones from hypophosphatemic (Hyp) mice and normal littermates were cultured in a chemically defined medium to determine: (a) the effect of medium phosphate (Pi) concentration (1, 2, and 3 mM) on collagen synthesis; (b) the effect of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25(OH)2D3] (10(-12)M-10(-7)M) on collagen synthesis; and (c) whether bone responsiveness to 1,25(OH)2D3 was affected by changes in medium Pi concentration. Bone collagen synthesis was evaluated by measuring [ 3H ]hydroxyproline formation. The distribution of labeled hydroxyproline between bone explant and culture medium (total and dialyzable fraction) was studied. These experiments confirm that 1,25(OH)2D3 inhibits specifically bone collagen synthesis in vitro. We did not detect any effect of medium Pi concentration on basal collagen synthesis but were able to demonstrate that lowering medium Pi concentration increased the 1,25(OH)2D3-induced inhibition of collagen synthesis. Bones from both genotypes responded to 1,25(OH)2D3, but modulation of this response by changes in Pi concentration was altered in Hyp bone as, in contrast to normal bone, its response to 1,25(OH)2D3 was unaffected when medium Pi concentration was decreased from 3 to 2 mM. These findings support the hypothesis of an altered response of bone to 1,25(OH)2D3 in the Hyp mouse.

Studies on the mechanisms by which 2-chloroadenosine stimulates bone resorption in tissue culture

The effect of 2-chloroadenosine on bone resorption was studied in calvarial bones from 6–7-day-old mice in organ culture. 2-Chloroadenosine stimulated the mobilization of minerals ( 40Ca, 45Ca) and increased the degradation of matrix ([ 3H]proline) from the bones. The nucleoside also caused an increased release of β-glucuronidase, a lysosomal enzyme. In doses above 30 μM 2-chloroadenosine was cytotoxic, as evidenced by an increased release of lactate dehydrogenase. 2-Chloroadenosine-stimulated resorption could be inhibited by calcitonin, increased concentration of phosphate in culture medium, cortisone, dexamethasone, indomethacin, naproxen, meclofenamic acid and 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid. 2-Chloroadenosine was much more sensitive to inhibition by dexamethasone than was parathyroid hormone. The response to the maximal dose of 2-chloroadenosine could not be enhanced by parathyroid hormone, 1α-hydroxyvitamin D-3 and prostaglandin E 2. An exposure to 2-chloroadenosine for 12 h was not sufficient to produce prolonged resorption. The results suggest that 2-chloroadenosine stimulated bone resorption by a process which is dependent on osteoclastic activity. The possibility that the effect of 2-chloroadenosine, either directly or indirectly, is related to formation of prostaglandins is discussed in the light of the above data.

In vitro effects of aluminum on bone phosphatases: a possible interaction with bPTH and vitamin D3 metabolites.

The present study was undertaken to test the in vitro action of aluminum on bone phosphatase activities and the possible interaction of this metal with parathyroid hormone (bPTH) or vitamin D3 dihydroxymetabolites [1,25- and 24,25(OH)2D3). Three-day-old rat calvaria were incubated for 24 h with one of the following: bPTH at 5×10−8M, 1,25-or 24,25(OH)2D3 at 2.5×10−9M, Al at concentrations ranging from 3×10−11M to 6×10−6M, or their corresponding solvents. Al effects were also investigated when the medium phosphate or calcium concentrations were modified. In some experiments, Al was added simultaneously with bPTH or one of the vitamin D3 metabolites at the beginning of the 24 h incubation. At the end of all incubations, acid and alkaline phosphatase activities were measured in bone cytoplasmic extract. The results show that: (a) When compared to the value found in half calvaria incubated in a control medium, the bone acid and alkaline phosphatase content is significantly higher in paired halves incubated with Al (3×10−11M to 1.5×10−6M) as well as with bPTH, 1,25-, or 24,25(OH)2D3 and sharply decreased with higher Al concentrations (6×10−6M). (b) The Al effect on phosphatase activities is modified in a free phosphate or a free calcium medium. (c) The presence of Al at 1.5×10−6M or 6×10−6M significantly decreases the bPTH or 1,25(OH)2D3-induced stimulation of bone phosphatase activities. (d) A similar interaction could not be found between Al and 24,25-(OH)2D3.

Energetics of citrulline synthesis by rat liver mitochondria.

The energetics of flux through carbamyl phosphate synthetase and of citrulline formation from added ammonia, bicarbonate, and ornithine have been investigated in liver mitochondria from rats fed a high protein diet. In the presence of an oxidizable substrate, but in the absence of ornithine, carbamyl phosphate accumulated as a function of the medium phosphate concentration (K'm approximately 1.5 mM) up to values of 30 nmol/mg of protein. Upon addition of ornithine, citrulline was produced at the rate of 70 nmol/mg/min, and the carbamyl phosphate content fell to below 1 nmol/mg. The intramitochondrial ATP/ADP ratio decreased after ornithine addition, indicating that release of inhibition of carbamyl phosphate synthetase by carbamyl phosphate predominated over the expected inhibition due to the fall of the ATP/ADP ratio. Under partially uncoupled conditions in the presence of ornithine, citrulline formation decreased linearly with a fall of the calculated intramitochondrial MgATP/MgADP ratio. Changes of the thermodynamic parameters of mitochondrial phosphorylation potential, delta Gp(m), proton electrochemical gradient, delta mu H+, and oxidation-reduction potential difference between NAD+ and cytochrome c, delta Eh, were measured under conditions of enhanced respiration induced by citrulline synthesis and compared with ADP-stimulated respiration. Under both conditions, delta Gp(m) decreased and delta Eh also decreased due to a net oxidation of NADH and reduction of cytochrome c. However, delta mu H+ showed no change after citrulline addition although it decreased during ADP-stimulated respiration. The average H+/2e stoichiometry over the first two phosphorylation sites calculated from the delta Eh/delta mu H+ ratio ranged from 3.0 to 3.5, while the H+/ATP stoichiometry calculated from the delta Gp(m)/delta mu H+ ratio ranged from 2.0 to 2.5. The calculated ratios of H+/2e and H+/ATP both increased as delta mu H+ was lowered by addition of an uncoupling agent. The overall data are apparently not in accordance with the commonly held view that delta mu H+ is an obligatory intermediate between the oxidation-reduction pumps of the respiratory chain and ATP synthase.