Mitochondria produce much of the energy our cells need to function. They also participate in metabolism, cellular signalling and the regulation of inflammation.
When mitochondria become less able to perform these functions effectively, this is called mitochondrial dysfunction.
Mitochondrial function can decline with age. Damaged or poorly functioning mitochondria may produce energy less efficiently and disrupt normal cellular processes.
Mitochondrial dysfunction is also one of the biological processes associated with ageing.
What does the gut microbiome have to do with it?
Gut microorganisms produce many substances that can interact with the body. Some of these microbial metabolites can influence mitochondrial function.
Changes in the microbiome may alter the balance of these substances.
For example, some gut bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids, which interact with metabolic and cellular pathways. Other microbial products can promote inflammatory responses or affect metabolic signalling.
This creates several possible connections between the gut microbiome and mitochondria.
Microbial metabolites may interact directly with mitochondrial processes. The microbiome may also influence mitochondria indirectly through metabolism, immune regulation and inflammation.
The relationship can work in both directions. Changes in mitochondrial function can affect cellular metabolism and immune responses, which may also alter the environment in which the gut microbiome lives.
These interactions are particularly interesting in ageing because both the microbiome and mitochondrial function change over time.
Researchers are investigating whether microbiome-related changes in microbial metabolites, metabolism and inflammation can contribute to impaired mitochondrial function during ageing.
The evidence is still developing. A change in the gut microbiome does not mean that a person has mitochondrial dysfunction. It also remains unclear whether modifying the microbiome can prevent or reverse mitochondrial dysfunction in humans.
The microbiome–mitochondria relationship is an emerging area of longevity research, linking changes in the gut with cellular processes involved in ageing.
