ACTIVITY OF THE MITOCHONDRIAL MULTIPLE CONDUCTANCE CHANNEL IS INDEPENDENT OF THE ADENINE-NUCLEOTIDE TRANSLOCATOR

The functional relationship between the adenine nucleotide translocato r (ANT) and the mitochondrial multiple conductance channel (MCC) was i nvestigated using patch-clamp techniques. MCC activity with the same c onductance, ion selectivity, voltage dependence, and peptide sensitivi ty could be reconstituted from inner membrane fractions derived from m itochondria of ANT-deficient and wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae. I n addition, the MCC activity of mouse kidney mitoplasts was unaffected by carboxyatractyloside, a known inhibitor of ANT and inducer of a pe rmeability transition. These results suggest that MCC activity is inde pendent of ANT.