The toxic glycoside from Atractylis gummifera that blocks mitochondrial ADP/ATP transport is atractyloside.
Atractyloside is a highly toxic plant glycoside found in Atractylis gummifera, a Mediterranean thistle, as well as in some other plants. It inhibits the adenine nucleotide translocase, also called the mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier, in the inner mitochondrial membrane. This carrier normally exchanges ADP entering the mitochondrial matrix for ATP leaving it.
By binding the carrier, atractyloside prevents that exchange. ADP cannot efficiently reach the matrix for oxidative phosphorylation, while newly made ATP cannot be exported normally. Cellular energy production therefore collapses, and severe poisoning can lead to liver and kidney failure. Carboxyatractyloside is a closely related compound and an especially potent analogue, but it is not the stored answer’s exact name.
The toxin’s structure helps explain its activity: charged sulfate groups mimic phosphate groups in ADP, while other regions fit the carrier’s binding site. The compound became an important biochemical tool because researchers used it to investigate mitochondrial energy transport as well as a dangerous natural poison.