The optical and electrical properties of mitochondrial preparations

Abstract

It has been shown that electron-acceptor quinones can complex to proteins, decreasing their electrical resistivity and semiconductive activation energy. Such complex proteins are suitable for energy transport in biological systems by a semiconduction mechanism.

Coenzyme Q₁₀ is known to be involved in oxidative phosphorylation reactions in association with the cytochrome system. The semiconductive and optical properties of a cytochrome c-coenzyme Q₁₀ complex have indicated a possible mechanism for such reactions and an investigation of this complex in a mitochondrial lipid medium and complete mitochondria has provided evidence for the possible role of a semiconductive mechanism in mitochondrial energy transport.