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J Bioenerg Biomembr (2008) 40:407410 DOI 10.1007/s10863-008-9173-7
A perspective on Peter Mitchell and the chemiosmotic theory
Peter R. Rich
Received: 11 July 2008 /Accepted: 15 July 2008 /Published online: 10 October 2008 # Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2008
Abstract In 1991 Peter Mitchell wrote a last article that summarised his views on the origin, development and current status of his chemiosmotic ideas. I here review some of his views of that time on structures and mechanisms of several key bioenergetic components in relation to the subsequent advances that have been made.
Keywords Chemiosmotic theory. Peter Mitchell .
Mitochondria . Energy coupling . Electron transfer
Historical perspective
Peter Mitchell wrote his final scientific article in 1991 (Mitchell 1991), 30 years after his seminal Nature paper (Mitchell 1961) that launched the chemiosmotic hypothesis (Fig. 1). The Nature publication was in its turn followed in 1966 and 1968 by two privately published Grey Books (Mitchell 1966; Mitchell 1968) that established and amplified the details of the chemiosmotic theory. In his 1991 review he summarised his views on the origins, development, impact and ramifications of his chemiosmotic ideas. It is particularly interesting from several points of view. Firstly, he attempted to document the origins of the early development of his thoughts in terms of fundamental physical chemistry and thermodynamics, the nature of osmotic and diffusional forces and emerging ideas on lipid membranes and biological catalysis. He emphasized that, of
all of these, it was the fundamental physical and chemical principles that the most important factors in the development of his ideas. These principles were to remain the foundation of his work and thinking.
In this final paper he also reiterated that the theory behind the chemiosmotic hypothesis is much more broadly relevant than is commonly acknowledged, being applicable not only to the membrane processes of electron/proton coupling, transport and ATP synthesis but also to ligand reactions more widely. Nevertheless, these bioenergetic systems, particularly the mitochondrial and photosynthetic electron transfer chains, were particularly conducive to experiments to test the tenets and predictions of the hypothesis and it was on the mitochondrial system that Peter Mitchell and Jennifer Moyle, his close colleague of many years, concentrated most of their experimental efforts. In the period between 1965 and 1992, his...