The plant uncoupling protein homologues: a new family of energy-dissipating proteins in plant mitochondria

Uncoupling proteins (UCPs) form a subfamily within the mitochondrial carrier protein family, which catalyze a free fatty acid-mediated proton recycling and can modulate the tightness of coupling between mitochondrial respiration and ATP synthesis. As in mammalian tissues, UCPs are rather ubiquitous in the plant kingdom and widespread in plant tissues in which they could have various physiological roles, such as heat production or protection against free oxygen radicals. The simultaneous occurrence in plant mitochondria of two putative energy-dissipating systems, namely UCP which dissipates the proton motive force, and alternative oxidase (AOX) which dissipates the redox potential, raises the question of their functional interactions.