The uniqueness of the plant mitochondrial potassium channel

The ATP-inhibited Plant Mitochondrial K+ Channel (PmitoKATP) was discovered about fifteen years ago in Durum Wheat Mitochondria (DWM). PmitoKATP catalyses the electrophoretic K+ uniport through the inner mitochondrial membrane; moreover, the co-operation between PmitoKATP and K+/H+ antiporter allows such a great operation of a K+ cycle to collapse mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ) and ΔpH, thus impairing protonmotive force (Δp). A possible physiological role of such ΔΨ control is the restriction of harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS) production under environmental/oxidative stress conditions. Interestingly, DWM lacking Δp were found to be nevertheless fully coupled and able to regularly accomplish ATP synthesis; this unexpected behaviour makes necessary to recast in some way the classical chemiosmotic model. In the whole, PmitoKATP may oppose to large scale ROS production by lowering ΔΨ under environmental/oxidative stress, but, when stress is moderate, this occurs without impairing ATP synthesis in a crucial moment for cell and mitochondrial bioenergetics.