Investigations of mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocation by means of nucleotide analogs.

ATP and ADP are transferred across the inner mitochondrial membrane by means of a carrier (translocator), an inner membrane integral lipoprotein. Translocation of the adenine nucleotides occurs in two steps: specific binding and transport. By using substrate analogs with modified adenine, phosphate, or ribose moieties it is possible to check which structural properties of the substrate are essential for binding and transport.