Age-dependent changes in the mitochondrial F0F1 ATP synthase

Abstract The age dependence of ATP hydrolase activity and oligomycin sensitive passive proton conduction in sonicated submitochondrial particles of rat brain and rat heart has been investigated. The results show an increase of V max of the ATP hydrolase activity and decrease of oligomycin sensitive passive proton conduction with increase of the age of rats from 3 to 6 months. Decrease of ATPase activity and increase of oligomycin sensitive proton conduction occur with further aging to 24 months. Immunoblot analysis shows that both the F 1 and F 0 contents of mitochondria vary with the age of rats, the former exhibiting relatively larger changes.