Ca²⁺ stimulates both the respiratory and phosphorylation subsystems in rat heart mitochondria

Stimulation of mitochondrial respiration by physiological concentrations of Ca²⁺ was studied to determine which components of oxidative phosphorylation are affected by Ca²⁺. The kinetic dependence of the respiratory chain, phosphorylation subsystem and proton leak on the mitochondrial membrane potential in isolated rat heart mitochondria respiring on 2-oxoglutarate or succinate was measured at two different concentrations of external free Ca²⁺. The results show that proton leak is not directly affected by Ca²⁺, but that both the respiratory and phosphorylation systems can be directly stimulated by Ca²⁺ depending on conditions. Although Ca²⁺ directly stimulates the phosphorylation system, this has relatively little effect on respiration rate with 2-oxoglutarate in States 3 and 4 because the subsystem has little control over respiration. However, in intermediate states, the phosphorylation system has greater control and Ca²⁺ stimulation of this system contributes substantially to the stimulation of respiration and phosphorylation. In the case of succinate oxidation neither the respiratory subsystem nor the phosphorylation system is stimulated by Ca²⁺.