Tetracyano-2,2-bipyridineiron(iii), an improved electron acceptor for the spectrophotometric assay of beta-oxidation and of succinate dehydrogenase in intact mitochondria.

A recently described direct reading assay for beta-oxidation and for succinate oxidation in intact mitochondria using [Fe(CN)6]3- as final electron acceptor [Osmundsen & Bremer (1977) Biochem. J. 164. 621--633] has been improved by using instead tetracyano-2,2-bipyridineiron(III) [Fe(CN)4(bpy)]-, which gives a 2.6 times greater absorbance change on reduction. Some physical and kinetic properties of [Fe(CN)4(bpy)]- are described. The use of exogenous cytochrome c(III) as electron acceptor was also tested; this gives the largest absorbance change, although the absolute rate of reaction is only approx. one-third of that using [Fe(CN)6]3- or [Fe(CN)4(bpy)]-.