Chemilumineszenz von Mitochondrien

Abstract

Mitochondria from rat liver (RL) and bovine heart muscle (BH) on treatment with O2 produce a weak chemiluminescence in the spectral range between 400 and 650 m. The intensity in RL-mitochondria becomes greater by previous freezing and thawing and by supersonant. In both materials the addition of acridin orange causes a substantial increase of the luminescence, at the same time the O2 absorption is retarded. RL-mitochondria under these conditions produce a temporary radiation; BH-mitochondria produce a slowly rising long continued radiation. Electron transfer particles obtained from BH-mitochondria show the same behavior. The temporal course and the capability of being influenced by effectors of the respiratory chain differs from the luminescence found with RL-mitochondria. Excited O2 is discussed as a carrier of the luminescence.