In order to assess controversial- proposals concerning the fatty acid-induced uncoupling of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, we investigated the interaction of stearic acid with key mitochondrial proteins and measured the effect of stearic acid on the respiration of cytochrome c oxidase vesicles. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of spin-labeled stearic acid clearly demonstrated that cytochrome c oxidase interacts strongly with stearic acid. However, the respiration of detergent-solubilized cytochrome c oxidase was not altered significantly by stearic acid. Surprisingly, adenine nucleotide carrier, which was assumed to bind and translocate fatty acid anions in the Skulachev model of uncoupling, did not bind stearic acid at all. The respiration rate of cytochrome c oxidase vesicles was increased by ∼70% in the presence of 20 μM stearic acid and this uncoupling was attributed to a simple protonophoric effect of stearic acid.