Keith D. Garlid Received 19 February 1979. Unmasking the mitochondrial K/H exchanger: Tetraethylammonium-induced K+-loss

Abstract:

Mitochondria respiring in media containing 80 mM tetraethylammonium ions lose all of their endogenous K+ within 7 minutes. K+-loss is associated with uptake of tetraethylammonium ions. K+ efflux under these conditions is energy-dependent and electroneutral. It is concluded that tetraethylammonium uptake unmasks the endogenous K/H exchanger. Considered in relation to the chemiosmotic theory, these results support the existence of a "carrier-brake" mechanism which modulates K/H exchange to maintain volume homeostasis in vivo


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