Recently, researchers in China discovered that the Asian hard clam (Meretrix petechialis) can produce Erythromycin – a common antibiotic used to treat respiratory, skin, or eye infections.
Specifically, this clam species can synthesize Erythromycin through mucus-rich cells in its outer protective tissue.
Asian hard clam Meretrix petechialis. (Photo: AFP).
Erythromycin is an antibiotic used to treat various bacterial infections. Until now, this antibiotic has only been produced by certain strains of actinomycetes (also known as prokaryotic bacteria).
Before the study, scientists were puzzled by how clams could resist bacterial pathogens despite living in a bacteria-rich environment like mud. Notably, their bodies lack an immune system that produces adaptive lymphocytes.
To find answers, researchers began analyzing the genetic changes in clams before and after bacterial infection. Subsequently, the scientific team identified a gene capable of encoding an enzyme as part of the Erythromycin synthesis process.
Professor Liu Baozhong, leader of the research team at the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS), stated: “We also noted the production of Erythromycin in the Ben Tre clam, scientifically known as Meretrix lyrata. This demonstrates that invertebrate marine animals can produce Erythromycin on their own.”
Scientists believe that this new discovery will provide groundbreaking insights into the environmental protection and immune capabilities of invertebrate animals, as well as their antibiotic production potential.
