Changes in intramitochondrial adenine nucleotides in blowfly flight-muscle mitochondria.

1. With freshly isolated blowfly mitochondria 38% of the intramitochondrial adenine nucleotide was present as AMP. 2. On incubation with oxidizable substrates the AMP and ADP concentrations fell and that of ATP rose; with pyruvate together with proline the ATP concentration reached its maximum value at 6min; with glycerol phosphate the phosphorylation of endogenous nucleotide was more rapid. 3. Addition of the uncoupling agent carbonyl cyanide phenylhydrazone caused a rapid fall of ATP and a parallel rise in ADP, then ADP was converted into AMP. 4. This was in contrast with rat liver mitochondria endogenous AMP concentrations, which were always lower than those of blowfly mitochondria and changed little under different metabolic conditions. 5. Evidence is presented that adenylate kinase (EC 2.7.4.3) has a dual distribution in blowfly mitochondria, a part being located in the matrix space and a part in the space between the outer and inner mitochondrial membranes, as in liver and other mitochondria. 6. The possible regulatory role of changing AMP concentrations in the mitochondrial matrix was investigated. Partially purified pyruvate carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.1) and citrate synthase (EC 4.1.3.7) were inhibited 30% by 2mm-AMP, whereas pyruvate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.4.1) was unaffected. 7. AMP activated the NAD(+)-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.41) activity of blowfly mitochondria in the absence of ADP, but in the presence of ADP, AMP caused inhibition. 8. It is suggested that AMP may exert a controlling effect on the oxidative activity of blowfly mitochondria.