Is localized chemiosmosis necessary in mitochondria? Is Lee's TELP protonic capacitor hypothesis a reasonable model?

• DOI: 10.1016/j.mitoco.2024.06.001
• Publication Date: 2024-06-07T17:40:11Z
• Authors: Todd P. Silverstein

Recent high-resolution pH measurements in mitochondria show ΔpH across the F1F0 ATP synthase to be quite low, 0.07–0.32. Our meta-analysis of published values transmembrane potential (Δψ) shows it identical vivo and vitro: -159 ± 16 mV. With low ΔpH, thermodynamic efficiency proton-driven synthesis exceeds 100 % for average- low-potential (−123 mV) mitochondria, possibly also high-potential (−180 mitochondria. Efficiencies exceeding may violate second law thermodynamics, suggest a need localized chemiosmosis, i.e., existence membrane surface that bulk phase by at least 0.2 units 1.1 The lack equilibration between protons those is explained two models which we discuss compare: well/barrier model, TELP protonic capacitor model.