Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide: an uncoupler of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation.

The addition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa KCIIR LPS to respiring mitochondria stimulated the rate of substrate oxidation, reduced the respiratory control ratio, stimulated oxygen uptake in state 4, and released the inhibition imposed upon state 3 by atractyloside. It was concluded that LPS acted as an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation and that it produced effects similar to those observed with the classical uncoupler 2,4-dinitrophenol.