Abstract

Rates of O₂ uptake of mitochondria vary depending on the nature of added substrate, on assay conditions, and on the tissue from which mitochondria are isolated. Inhibition of aconitase by fluorocitrate influenced O₂ uptake and citrate accumulation in a highly selective manner. Metabolic effectivity of fluorocitrate was dependent on the same variables which determine specific metabolic rates in the absence of the inhibitor. It is proposed that the experimental design applied detects metabolic consequences of tissue-specific control mechanisms.