Not a horse with an impossible name

Medical science when used appropriately, and in the service of mankind in the proper (not twisted way), is a blessing worth thanking God for.

Genomic science recently discovered a genetic cargo labeled by researchers as “Фm46.1.” Well, don’t ask me to read it. I can’t. Maybe it is meant to be written and not read. I cannot imagine how the scientists who named it can actually read it. I hope they are not laughing at us and at each other for their genius of devising such a difficult “name.”

Well they did it anyway. Eleonora Giovanetti and six other colleagues from the Polytechnic University of Marche Medical School in Ancona (Italy) discovered this genetic cargo. They found it attached to the DNA of the bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes. Remember the culprit that caused your sore throat, medically called pharyngitis? That’s the one. And this DNA material carries mef( A) and tet( O) coders that cause resistance to macrolides and tetracycline, respectively. This material is called “prophage.” Prophages are not passive genetic cargo of the bacterial chromosome. These may be active participants in the bacterial cell physique. This phage DNA is a mobile genetic element and, alarmingly a carrier. This time, the researchers noted, they carried the genetic coders mentioned above.

Now, since they are mobile, they can potentially transfer these drug resistance coders to other bacteria, at least in the same genus

Streptococcus, and cause more havoc of drug resistance to mankind. In this microscopic community of

Streptococcus, there are many known members of proven disease-causing capabilities, such as S. pneumoniae, which is behind bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinusitis, meningitis and bloodstream infection (bacteremia). Both strains already have multidrugresistant strains infecting people around the world.

So the team tested the DNA phage if it can transfer the coders to another Streptococcus strain under laboratory conditions. That means they were using test tubes, liquid or semiliquid growth media, with gloved hands, of course. It can be activated with antibiotic mitomycin C, existing both as a prophage and as a free circular form and it can definitely be transferred to related species.

The good thing was, it wasn’t capable of transferring itself to S.

pneumoniae, S. oralis (normal bacteria in the mouth), and S. salivarius (normal bacteria in the saliva). That’s the good news. It only transfers to S. agalactiae,

S. gordonii, S. and S. suis. Despite some misuses of sciences in this world, there is still good news about science. That’s something to smile about.