Effects of streptonigrin derivatives and sakyomicin A on the respiration of isolated rat liver mitochondria.

Though all the streptonigrin derivatives with modifications in the carboxyl group on C2' were active as electron acceptors in the oxidation of NADH by Clostridium kluyveri diaphorase as well as streptonigrin, the glycine derivative did not show any marked effect on the KCN-insensitive oxidation of glutamate by rat liver mitochondria, suggesting a poor membrane transport of the glycine derivative. Sakyomicin A also induced the KCN-insensitive oxidation of glutamate by mitochondria, while a trace activity was observed by mitomycin C and the effect of doxorubicin was negligible. Like streptonigrin, the autoxidation of a reduced form (hydroquinone) of sakyomicin A to a quinone accompanied the generation of H2O2. However, exogenous NADH was oxidized by mitochondria in the presence of sakyomicin A but not streptonigrin.