A novel property of adenine nucleotides: Sensitivity to helium‐neon laser in mitochondrial reactions

Consideration is made here of the ability of He-Ne laser light to affect both transport and enzymic reactions by acting on substrates. Adenine nucleotides irradiated with 3 Joules/cm2 fluence (10 mW/cm2 fluence rate) showed altered biochemical behaviour when used as substrates for certain mitochondrial reactions in isolated rat liver mitochondria: ADP/ATP antiport and ATP synthase, which allow for oxidative phosphorylation, and adenylate kinase reaction. In order to determine ATP synthase kinetics a specific method was developed which allows for calculation of ADP phosphorylation rate in intact mitochondria. While no change in ATP synthase kinetics was observed as a result of ADP irradiation, adenine nucleotides proved to be sensitive to He-Ne laser irradiation when their interaction with ADP/ATP carrier and adenylate kinase was considered.