Nature of the effect of adenosine 5'-monophosphate on the cyanide-insensitive respiration in mitochondria of Moniliella tomentosa

The alternative oxidase of Moniliella tomentosa mitochondria is stimulated by 5'-AMP. This effect may be masked, depending on the isolation procedure of the mitochondria. The preparation of submitochondrial particles results in the expression of the 5'-AMP effect. Two more methods are now described to reveal the 5'-AMP effect whenever it would be masked: (1) switching on the myokinase activity of the mitochondria to deplete them of endogenous 5'-AMP; (2) using detergents (sodium dodecyl sulphate, sodium deoxycholate) in a controlled detergent:protein ratio, or chloroform. The alternative oxidase of detergent-solubilized mitochondria was somewhat less selective towards nucleotides than were intact mitochondria. The effect of nucleotides on quinol oxidation by mitochondrial preparations and on quinol autoxidation was also studied. Mitochondrial oxidation of succinate by the alternative oxidase and autoxidation of quinols behaved similarly in the presence of certain nucleotides. Both reactions were stimulated. Both reactions were also inhibited by salicylhydroxamic acid. These effects on quinol oxidation disappeared when bovine serum albumin or mitochondrial proteins were present. From the results obtained it is not possible to exclude quinol autoxidation as a final step of the alternative oxidase.