Glutamine transport and metabolism by mitochondria from dog renal cortex. General properties and response to acidosis and alkalosis.

Mitochondria from dog renal cortex were incubated with L-[14Cglutamine. Glutamate metabolism was prevented by inhibitors so that glutamate accumulated either in the mitochondrial matrix space or in the medium. The formation and accumuation of glutamate formed from glutamine and the distribution of glutamine in the mitochondrial fluid spaces were studied. In the matrix space glutamate rapidly reaches levels over 5 times that of glutamine in the medium. A more gradual accumulation occurs in the medium as glutamate is transported out of the mitochondria. Addition of an energy source such as succinate to the medium accelerates glutamate formation. A Km of 0.6 mM appears to govern the reaction at low concentrations of glutamine; at about 4 mM an abrupt change kinetics occurs with a Km of 5 mM above that level. Both NH4+ and glutamate inhibit glutamine metabolism and phosphate stimulates it, but little effect glutamate or phosphate occurs at low levels of these substances. The pH optimum of the reaction is between 7.4 and 7.8. Mersalyl and p-chloromercuribenzoate strongly inhibit glutamate formation; N-ethylmaleimide and bromcresol green have weaker inhibitory actions, and borate increases the reaction rate. In the presence of mersalyl, glutamine is striclly confined to the outer space of mitochondria and none is detectable in the matrix space. Similarly at ) degrees glutamine is confined to the simultaneously determined sucrose or mannitol spaces...