Control of activity states of heart mitochondrial ATPase. Role of the proton-motive force and Ca2+.

The ATPase complex of submitochondrial particles exhibits activity transitions that are controlled by the natural ATPase inhibitor (Gómez-Puyou, A., Tuena de Gómez-Puyou, M. and Ernster, L. (1979) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 547, 252-257). The ATPase of intact heart mitochondria also shows reversible activity transitions; the activation reaction is induced by the establishment of electrochemical gradients, whilst the inactivation reaction is driven by collapse of the gradient. In addition it has been observed that the influx of Ca2+ into the mitochondria induces a rapid inactivation of the ATPase; this could be due to the transient collapse of the membrane potential in addition to a favorable effect of Ca2+-ATP on the association of the ATPase inhibitor peptide to F1-ATPase. This action of Ca2+ may explain why mitochondria utilize respiratory energy for the transport of Ca2+ in preference to phosphorylation. It is concluded that the mitochondrial ATPase inhibitor protein may exert a fundamental regulatory function in the utilization of electrochemical gradients.