Site of action of the cord factor of Corynebacterium diphtheriae in mitochondria.

Trehalose-6,6'-dicorynomycolate (T66DCM), the cord factor of Corynebacterium diphtheriae, induced in vitro a swelling accompanied with a partially irreversible change of the mitochondrial membrane system in mouse liver. Preincubation of the mitochondrial suspension with T66DCM resulted in an inhibition of phosphorylation coupled to the oxidation of either succinate or a number of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-linked substrates and a loss of respiratory control. T66DCM affected both electron transport and phosphorylation at coupling site II and uncoupled respiration and phosphorylation at coupling site III. T66DCM stimulated mitochondrial adenosine triphosphatase. The induction of adenosine triphosphatase by T66DCM and by 2,4-dinitrophenol was additive.