Activity of the mitochondrial multiple conductance channel is independent of the adenine nucleotide translocator.

The functional relationship between the adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT) and the mitochondrial multiple conductance channel (MCC) was investigated using patch-clamp techniques. MCC activity with the same conductance, ion selectivity, voltage dependence, and peptide sensitivity could be reconstituted from inner membrane fractions derived from mitochondria of ANT-deficient and wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In addition, the MCC activity of mouse kidney mitoplasts was unaffected by carboxyatractyloside, a known inhibitor of ANT and inducer of a permeability transition. These results suggest that MCC activity is independent of ANT.