The dependence on dicarboxylic acids and energy of citrate accumulation in depleted rat liver mitochondria.

The accumulation of some organic anions in the space inaccessible to sucrose of rat liver mitochondria was measured. In untreated mitochondria anions were apparently concentrated from 1mm applied concentration by between five- and 22-fold, depending on their charge. After depletion of endogenous reserves either with uncoupling agent or with oligomycin uptakes were decreased. The accumulation of citrate was restored by combinations of a dicarboxylic acid (malate, succinate, maleate or meso-tartrate) and energy. The energy could either be provided by oxidation of a suitable dicarboxylic acid or from ascorbate in the presence of tetramethylphenylenediamine, or from ATP. The restoration of citrate uptake is not necessarily accompanied by a gain of K(+), but a cation- and energy-linked citrate uptake can be induced with valinomycin. When citrate is added to mitochondria in the presence of malate the latter is competitively displaced. The anion accumulation could arise from an internal energy-linked positive potential.