The mitochondrial megachannel is the permeability transition pore.
Single-channel electrophysiological recordings from rat liver mitoplast membranes showed that the 1.3-nS mitochondrial megachannel was activated by Ca++ and inhibited by Mg++, Cyclosporin A, and ADP, probably acting at matrix-side sites. These agents are known to modulate the so-called mitochondrial permeability transition pore (Gunter, T. E., and Pfeiffer, D. R. (1990) Am. J. Physiol. 258, C755-C786) in the same manner. Furthermore, the megachannel is unselective, and the minimum pore size calculated from its conductance is in agreement with independent estimates of the minimum size of the permeabilization pore. The results support the tentative identification of the megachannel with the pore believed to be involved in the permeabilization process.
Szabó
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Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Patologia Generale, Padova, Italy.
Zoratti
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M
D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D004594:Electrophysiology; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D010539:Permeability; D051381:Rats
D007473:Ion Channels; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D008274:Magnesium