Role of the Transmembrane Potential in the Membrane Proton Leak

The molecular mechanism responsible for the regulation of the mitochondrial membrane proton conductance (G) is not clearly understood. This study investigates the role of the transmembrane potential (ΔΨm) using planar membranes, reconstituted with purified uncoupling proteins (UCP1 and UCP2) and/or unsaturated FA. We show that high ΔΨm (similar to ΔΨm in mitochondrial State IV) significantly activates the protonophoric function of UCPs in the presence of FA. The proton conductance increases nonlinearly with ΔΨm. The application of ΔΨm up to 220 mV leads to the overriding of the protein inhibition at a constant ATP concentration. Both, the exposure of FA-containing bilayers to high ΔΨm and the increase of FA membrane concentration bring about the significant exponential Gm increase, implying the contribution of FA in proton leak. Quantitative analysis of the energy barrier for the transport of FA anions in the presence and absence of protein suggests that FA− remain exposed to membrane lipids while crossing the UCP-containing membrane. We believe this study shows that UCPs and FA decrease ΔΨm more effectively if it is sufficiently high. Thus, the tight regulation of proton conductance and/or FA concentration by ΔΨm may be key in mitochondrial respiration and metabolism

Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 December 2012-31 January 2013.

4 pagesInternational audienceThis article documents the addition of 268 microsatellite marker loci to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Alburnoides bipunctatus, Chamaerops humilis, Chlidonias hybrida, Cyperus papyrus, Fusarium graminearum, Loxigilla barbadensis, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, Odontesthes bonariensis, Pelteobagrus vachelli, Posidonia oceanica, Potamotrygon motoro, Rhamdia quelen, Sarotherodon melanotheron heudelotii, Sibiraea angustata, Takifugu rubripes, Tarentola mauritanica, Trimmatostroma sp. and Wallago attu. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Alburnoides fasciatus, Alburnoides kubanicus, Alburnoides maculatus, Alburnoides ohridanus, Alburnoides prespensis, Alburnoides rossicus, Alburnoides strymonicus, Alburnoides thessalicus, Alburnoides tzanevi, Carassius carassius, Fusarium asiaticum, Leucaspius delineatus, Loxigilla noctis dominica, Pelecus cultratus, Phoenix canariensis, Potamotrygon falkneri, Trachycarpus fortune and Vimba vimba