Intracellular pH: measurement, control, and metabolic interrelationships

Abstract

Recent work in the field of cell pH has been characterized by many developments in techniques of measurement, by increasing knowledge of the mechanism of control of cell pH, and by progress in the establishment of relationships between cell pHi and certain areas of intermediary metabolism. Though the weight of evidence is much in favor of control cell pH by active transport of H+, the situation remains somewhat unsatisfactory due to lack of a completely adequate explanation of the work of Carter's group. The heterogeneity of cell pH raises problems in the intrepretation of hydrogen ion equilibria across cell membranes and serious difficulties in correlating changes with alterations in metabolism. To put this into perspective, however, the later difficulties are no greater than many experienced with cell constituents other than hydrogen ions.90 As in other fields, knowledge must advance by making the best of the currently available methods until such time as better techniques become available.