Bongkrek acid

Bongkrek acid (also known as bongkrekic acid) is a respiratory toxin more deadly than other mitochondrial poisons such as cyanide or 2,4-dinitrophenol. There was some dispute regarding the actual structure of bongkrek acid, but this was resolved in 1973, which explains different structures appearing in the literature prior to this date. Bongkrek acid (also known as bongkrekic acid) is a respiratory toxin more deadly than other mitochondrial poisons such as cyanide or 2,4-dinitrophenol. There was some dispute regarding the actual structure of bongkrek acid, but this was resolved in 1973, which explains different structures appearing in the literature prior to this date. It is produced in fermented coconut contaminated by the bacterium Burkholderia gladioli pathovar cocovenenans. In particular, it has been implicated in deaths resulting from eating coconut-based product known as tempe bongkrèk, which is banned in Indonesia. It was also responsible for 75 deaths and over 200 hospitalizations due to contamined beer in a Mozambique funeral. It is highly toxic because the compound inhibits the ADP/ATP translocase, also called the mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier, preventing ATP from leaving the mitochondria to provide metabolic energy to the rest of the cell. The structure of bongkrekic acid bound to ADP/ATP translocase was solved in 2019, demonstrating that it binds to the substrate binding site, preventing ATP in the mitochondrial matrix from binding.