The regulation of extramitochondrial free calcium ion concentration by rat liver mitochondria

The mechanism whereby rat liver mitochondria regulate the extramitochondrial concentration of free Ca2+ was investigated. At 30°C and pH7.0, mitochondria can maintain a steady-state pCa2+0 (the negative logarithm of the free extramitochondrial Ca2+ concentration) of 6.1 (0.8μm). This represents a true steady state, as slight displacements in pCa2+0 away from 6.1 result in net Ca2+ uptake or efflux in order to restore pCa2+0 to its original value. In the absence of added permeant weak acid, the steady-state pCa2+0 is virtually independent of the Ca2+ accumulated in the matrix until 60nmol of Ca2+/mg of protein has been taken up. The steady-state pCa2+0 is also independent of the membrane potential, as long as the latter parameter is above a critical value. When the membrane potential is below this value, pCa2+0 is variable and appears to be governed by thermodynamic equilibration of Ca2+ across a Ca2+ uniport. Permeant weak acids increase, and N-ethylmaleimide decreases, the capacity of mitochondria to buffer pCa2+0 in the region of 6 (1μm-free Ca2+) while accumulating Ca2+. Permeant acids delay the build-up of the transmembrane pH gradient as Ca2+ is accumulated, and consequently delay the fall in membrane potential to values insufficient to maintain a pCa2+0 of 6. The steady-state pCa2+0 is affected by temperature, incubation pH and Mg2+. The activity of the Ca2+ uniport, rather than that of the respiratory chain, is rate-limiting when pCa2+0 is greater than 5.3 (free Ca2+ less than 5μm). When the Ca2+ electrochemical gradient is in excess, the activity of the uniport decreases by 2-fold for every 0.12 increase in pCa2+0 (fall in free Ca2+). At pCa2+0 6.1, the activity of the Ca2+ uniport is kinetically limited to 5nmol of Ca2+/min per mg of protein, even when the Ca2+ electrochemical gradient is large. A steady-state cycling of Ca2+ through independent influx and efflux pathways provides a model which is kinetically and thermodynamically consistent with the present observations, and which predicts an extremely precise regulation of pCa2+0 by liver mitochondria in vivo.