The binding to the ADP/ATP carrier in mitochondrial membranes of the 3'-O-(dimethylamino)naphthoyl (DAN) derivatives of AMP, ADP, and ATP was quantitatively analyzed. The sidedness of the fluorescent type binding to the "m" side only was shown comparing the mitochondrial membranes in various stages of integrity and surface orientation. In particles displacement by bongkrekate (BKA) is direct, whereas in the case of carboxyatractylate (CAT) the requirement for ADP and ATP demonstrates the transition from the "m" to the "c" state. Quantitatively the "physical" binding of [3H]DAN-AMP and fluorescence are well correlated, allowing for a little nonfluorescent binding to the c side. For DAN-AMP KD is 1.6 microM, for DAN-ADP KD is 0.8 microM, and in the Hill plot a straight line with n = 1.25 is obtained. The maximum number of binding sites for [3H]DAN-AMP (1.5 mumol/g of protein) is about equal to the sites found for [3H]BKA if the unspecific binding of both ligands is differentiated by blocking carrier sites with CAT. [3H]CAT binding is somewhat lower in accordance with the limited access of CAT to inverted vesicles. ADP is able to decrease fluorescence only by about 35% at high concentrations (10 mM) whereas GDP has virtually no effect. With ADP, DAN-AMP binding decreases by 30% of the total binding sensitive to BKA. Binding to ATPase is low because of the absence of Mg2+.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Fluorescent 3'-O-acyl-substituted adenine nucleotide (dimethylamino)naphthoyl and trinitrophenyl groups were studied for binding to the ADP/ATP carrier in mitochondria and submitochondrial particles. The changes in fluorescence intensity and emission maximum are for the most part similar to those observed in nonaqueous solvents. The (dimethylamino)naphthoyl derivatives from a largely quenched aqueous state have a shortwave shift up to 85 nm and increase up to 90-fold (1,5 derivative), whereas the little quenched naphthoyl derivatives show a fluorescence decrease and the weakly fluorescent trinitrophenyl derivative shows only a small increase on binding. All derivatives are good inhibitors (K1 = 1-10 microM) of nucleotide transport. The fluorescence titrations have an apparent K1/2 = 2-7 microM. The fluorescence of the 1,5-DAN nucleotide is fully suppressed by bongkrekate but only partially suppressed by carboxyatractylate. The fluorescence response is much stronger in submitochondrial particles than in mitochondria. Both facts suggest fluorescent binding to the "m" state of the carrier site at the inner face of the membrane. 1,5-DAN-AMP shows a slightly more efficient binding than DAN-ADP or DAN-ATP.