Effect of endogenous ubiquinone on the reduction and oxidation of short exogenous ubiquinone homologs in beef heart mitochondria.

The enzymic activities NADH-ubiquinone reductase, succinate-ubiquinone reductase and ubiquinol oxidase were evaluated in beef heart mitochondria in presence of short ubiquinone homologs. Preliminar data obtained indicate that short chain homologs, less lipophilic than natural ubiquinone do not reach the reoxidation site in absence of endogenous ubiquinone.