Triterpene Acids which Uncouple Oxidative Phosphorylation

210 Triterpene Acids Which Uncouple Oxidative Phosphorylation 

A careful study [6] of the ability of a large number of triterpene acids to uncouple oxidative phosphorylation has led to the conclusion that this activity is a manifestation of structural specificity since it is markedly affected by minor changes in chemical structure. This serves to distinguish these compounds from most aliphatic acids where uncouphng activity appears to depend only upon solubihty in a lipid phase and the presence of a carboxyl group as well as from emetine [1150] where the uncoupling activity appears to be simply a further manifestation of its general structurally non-specific properties. 

The most potent of the triterpene acids were found to be glyc5rrhetinic acid which approached the activity shown by 2,4-dinitrophenol, polyporenic acid A and fusidic acid (LX) which exceeded the activity shown by sahcylic acid. It is considered [6] that all three acids may uncouple phosphorylation by interaction with key lysyl amino-groups which participate in mitochondrial phosphorylation. 

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