The effect of vitamin E deficiency on permeability of mitochondria for phosphate.
We have investigated whether the earlier-found decreased unsaturation in mitochondrial membranes in vitamin E deficiency affects the permeability properties of mitochondria. The iso-osmotic swelling technique was used as a measure for the rate of uptake of substrates by these organelles. A significantly slower uptake could be observed of ammonium malate in the presence of phosphate and of ammonium  phosphate. These changes in membrane permeability might give a clue to the mechanism of some metabolic abnormalities as seen in vitamin E deficiency in relating these abnormalities to specific membrane functions, e.g. an affection of carriers; for instance the phosphate carrier.
D000643:Ammonium Chloride / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D002951:Citrates / Q000378:metabolism; D004372:Ducks; D008293:Malates / Q000378:metabolism; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008933:Mitochondrial Swelling; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism*; D011773:Pyruvates / Q000378:metabolism; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*
D002951:Citrates; D008293:Malates; D010710:Phosphates; D011773:Pyruvates; D000643:Ammonium Chloride