The mathematical dynamic model of oxidative phosphorylation developed
previously and in the accompanying paper was modified to involve isola
ted mitochondria conditions; it was also used to simulate state 4 -->
state 3 transition in rat liver mitochondria incubated with succinate
as respiratory substrate and glucose-hexokinase as an ADP-regenerating
system. Changes in the respiration rare, protonmotive force and reduc
tion level of ubiquinone and cytochrome c as well as the internal (i)
and external (e) ATP/ADP ratio between state 4 and slate 3 were calcul
ated and compared with the experimental data. Flux control coefficient
s with respect to oxygen consumption flux for different reactions and
processes of oxidative phosphorylation were simulated for different va
lues of the respiration rate (state 4, state 3 and intermediate states
). Flux control coefficients for the oxidation, phosphorylation and pr
oton leak subsystems with respect to the oxidation, phosphorylation an
d proton leak fluxes for different values of the respiration rate were
also calculated. These theoretical data were compared with the experi
mental results obtained in the frame of metabolic control analysis and
the 'top-down' approach to this analysis. A good agreement was obtain
ed. Simulated time courses of the respiration rate, the protonmotive f
orce (Delta p) and other parameters after addition of a small amount o
f ADP to mitochondria in state 4 mimicked at least semiquantitatively
the experimentally measured time courses of these parameters. It was c
oncluded, therefore, that in the present stage, the model is able to r
eflect different properties of the oxidative phosphorylation system in
a broad range of conditions fairly well, allows deeper insight into t
he mechanisms responsible for control and regulation of this process,
and can be used for simulation of new experiments, thus inspiring expe
rimental verification of the theoretical predictions.