Mitochondria-produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) are thought to contribute to cell death caused by a multitude of pathological conditions. The molecular sites of mitochondrial ROS production are not well established but are generally thought to be located in complex I and complex III of the electron transport chain. We measured H₂O₂production, respiration, and NADPH reduction level in rat brain mitochondria oxidizing a variety of respiratory substrates. Under conditions of maximum respiration induced with either ADP or carbonyl cyanidep-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone,α-ketoglutarate supported the highest rate of H₂O₂production. In the absence of ADP or in the presence of rotenone, H₂O₂production rates correlated with the reduction level of mitochondrial NADPH with various substrates, with the exception of α-ketoglutarate. Isolated mitochondrial α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (KGDHC) and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDHC) complexes produced superoxide and H₂O₂. NAD⁺inhibited ROS production by the isolated enzymes and by permeabilized mitochondria. We also measured H₂O₂production by brain mitochondria isolated from heterozygous knock-out mice deficient in dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase (Dld). Although this enzyme is a part of both KGDHC and PDHC, there was greater impairment of KGDHC activity in Dld-deficient mitochondria. These mitochondria also produced significantly less H₂O₂than mitochondria isolated from their littermate wild-type mice. The data strongly indicate that KGDHC is a primary site of ROS production in normally functioning mitochondria.