Adp regenerating enzyme systems in mitochondria of the guinea pig myometrium and heart. Clark, Joseph F., Andrey V. Kuznetsov, and George K. Radda. Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, England
APStracts 3:0289C, 1996.
Any enzyme or enzyme system that produces ADP in proximity to the mitochondria may be capable of stimulating respiration. Hexokinase (HK), Adenylate kinase (AK), and mitochondrial creatine kinase (Mi -CK) all catalyse reactions that produce ADP and thus may play a role in cellular nucleotide metabolism or control of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Respiratory characteristics and enzyme activities of mitochondria simultaneously isolated from heart and uterus of the gravid guinea pig, were compared. The ability of AMP, glucose, and creatine to stimulate mitochondrial respiration via AK, HK, and Mi-CK systems respectively was examined. Though the uterine Mi-CK activity is low compared to the values found in heart, the activities of HK and AK were significantly greater. Furthermore, the ability of HK and AK to stimulate respiration (functional activity), was greater in the uterine mitochondria. Indeed the activity of AK was sufficient to generate maximal (State 3) respiration. The apparent Km for ADP to stimulate respiration in the isolated uterine mitochondria was significantly different from that of the heart (9.6 +/- 0.9 and 5.1 +/- 1 [mu]M ADP respectively). It is concluded that uterine mitochondria can use HK and AK systems in addition to the CK system in enhancing local ADP concentration which may aid in the mitochondrial responses to energetic demands.

Received 21 March 1995; accepted in final form 28 August 1996.
APS Manuscript Number C157-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Cell Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 7 October 1996