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Dietary fibre deficiency can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and a mitochondriopathy. The colonic archaeal population density depends upon dietary fibre intake. Populations with low fibre intake have lesser density of colonic archaeal microflora and endosymbiotic archaea. The endosymbiotic archaea can synthesise digoxin. The human mitochondria has the cytochrome P450 enzymes required for steroidal synthesis. The mitochondria can synthesize the aglycone part of the digoxin. The archaeal RNA viroids hybridizing with mitochondrial RNA can get converted to mitochondrial DNA by reverse transcriptase and can form part of the mitochondrial DNA. This transfers the information for the synthesis of the sugar moiety from the archaea to the mitochondria. They can form supermitochondria and superbugs synthesizing digoxin. The mitochondrial digoxin can regulate the sodium-calcium exchange into the cell membrane and modulate mitochondrial function. The colonic digestion of dietary fibre by the microflora generates short chain fatty acids. The SCFA acetate, propionate and butyrate can be metabolized by the mitochondria generating ATP and improve mitochondrial function.
About the author
Dr Ravikumar Kurup is the Director of the Metabolic Disorders Research Centre, Trivandrum.
