Exchangeable and total calcium pools in mitochondria of rat epididymal fat-pads and isolated fat-cells. Role in the regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase activity.

1. Isolated fat-cells and intact epididymal fat-pads were incubated in medium containing 45Ca2+ and the incorporation of 45Ca into mitochondrial and extramitochondrial fractions was studied. Redistribution of 45Ca between these fractions was essentially prevented by the addition of EGTA [ethanedioxybis(ethylamine)tetra-acetate] and Ruthenium Red to the sucrose-based extraction medium. 2. Incorporation of 45Ca into mitochondrial fractions of both fat-cells and fat-pads was found to be complete within 2-5 min, suggesting that mitochondria contain a pool of calcium in rapid isotopic exchange with extracellular Ca2+. This pool was about 20 times larger in mitochondria within fat-cells than within fat-pads. In fat-cells, 45Ca incorporation into the mitochondrial fraction accounted for about 34% of the total 45Ca incorporation into cells after 20 min and about 50% of the total mitochondrial calcium content measured by atomic absorption; values in fat-pads were about 7 and 20% respectively.