1. The initial rapid phase of ATP hydrolysis by bovine heart submitochondrial particles or by soluble F1-ATPase is insensitive to anion activation (sulphite) or inhibition (azide). 2. The second slow phase of ATP hydrolysis is hyperbolically inhibited by azide (Ki approximately 10(-5) M); the inosine triphosphatase activity of submitochondrial particles or F1-ATPase is insensitive to azide or sulphite. 3. The rate of interconversion between rapid azide-insensitive and slow azide-sensitive phases of ATP hydrolysis does not depend on azide concentration, but strongly depends on ATP concentration. 4. Sulphite prevents the interconversion of the rapid initial phase of the reaction into the slower second phase, and also prevents and slowly reverses the inhibition by azide. 5. The presence of sulphite in the mixture when ADP reacts with ATPase of submitochondrial particles changes the pattern of the following activation process. 6. Azide blocks the activation of ATP-inhibited ATPase of submitochondrial particles by phosphoenolpyruvate and pyruvate kinase. 7. The results obtained suggest that the inhibiting effect of azide on mitochondrial ATPase is due to stabilization of inactive E*.ADP complex formed during ATP hydrolysis; the activation of ATPase by sulphite is also realized through the equilibrium between intermediate active E.ADP complex and inactive E*.ADP complex.
