Oral Obelisks? Do We Even Know What They Are?

Oral obelisks. If you ever overheard that as part of a conversation on a bus, you’d probably assume it was a talk about spectacular and ancient pillars. But they’re not ancient at all – they’re totally new – discovered in gut and mouth bacteria for the first time right here in 2024.

Maybe a short version of tall things is not a bad place to start. Particularly since it begins in ancient Egypt, a place and time where tooth extractions, fillings and dental interventions are proven to have been used to manage dental health.

Deemed living representations of gods, only pharaohs could commission obelisks. Not only were they a display of power, they were a dedication to the sun god and creator Ra (aka Re, Atum, Atum Ra or Khepri. It’s complicated.) Monuments to the fusion of Earthly strength and sovereignty with divine power, their four-sided, tapering form was to resemble a ray of sun. The pyramidion top was believed a trenchant reach through the sky to their king of deities; who could also be that giant ball of hydrogen and helium itself.

Incredibly significant to ancient Egyptians, obelisks were political and theological connotations linking the pharaoh god – chosen to lead and maintain order – with the numinous. Height signified the primordial mound that erupted from the turbulent primal seas, and denoted the continuity of order and life. Having one was a tremendous honour and symbol of authority.

If you’re lucky enough, you may have seen one up close and personal in Egypt, London, New York, Paris or Rome. Certainly there are modern versions found all over the world, but that’s like thinking the truffle oil on your pizza is real. Or that ‘obeli’ is the plural of obelisk. (It isn’t. No matter what Google wants to have you believe.)

For the obelisk obsessed, Rome is the motherlode of these ancient-era monuments. The relocation of Egyptian ones to ancient Rome was first achieved by the founder of the Roman Empire, Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, also known as Octavian in order to avoid confusion with you know, the one who was stabbed 23 times and had no way of knowing he should beware the Ides of March.

When the Romans annexed Alexandria in 30BCE, these monuments that had stood for thousands of years, were majestic, preeminent symbol of power. During his reign, Octavian had two of them transported to Rome by boat – the Flaminio and the Obelisk of Montecitorio. With dimensions of 24 metres high and 214 tonnes, and 22 metres with a weight of 194 tonnes respectively, this was no mean feat.

And could have been to take his mind off his bad teeth, described by Suetonius as, “widely separated, small and dirty”.

Caligula later did the same thing in the five short years he was at the helm; adding almost 100 tonnes to both previous transportations because he was a mad emperor, and he could. Although not to put the (little) boot in, some historians argue that his notorious behaviour could be attributed to mental illness or infection. Who’s to say he didn’t suffer from chronic gum disease? We know now how that can affect psychological well-being.

The last and largest of this phenomenal pillar purloining – not only the biggest in Rome, but globally – is the 46-metre high Lateran Obelisk. Moved from Aswan to the Circus Maximus by Constantius II in 357CE, it was again relocated in 1588 to a mere 250m from the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, the oldest basilica in the world.

For pedants, the official name for that 4th century cathedral is the Major Papal, Patriarchal and Roman Archbasilica, Cathedral of the Most Holy Saviour and Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist in Lateran, Mother and Head of All Churches in Rome and in the World.

For anyone else, that’s interesting enough to learn off by heart in case it comes up in pub trivia some time.

During the Byzantine Empire, emperors (Hadrian being one) had five made in Egypt, and copies of other originals made in Rome – just to shorten this short version about the fascination for obelisks. Can’t be fed up to the back teeth with the ones all over Italy without knowing about the ones near your own back teeth.

And in your gut.

Microbiologists for the very first time, have discovered bits of rogue RNA colonising our gut and oral bacteria hiding – in large numbers – inside the human mouth and gut. Given that humans are teeming with all sorts of weird stuff, these ‘obelisks’ sound much less interesting until you understand what RNA does.

Ribonucleic acid is a molecule essential for biological function, either because it does it itself, or forms a template for protein production. Structurally, it’s similar to DNA; but where that’s a double helix, RNA is usually single-stranded. Different types of RNA exist in cells: messenger, ribosomal and transfer.

Basically, without RNA you’re DOA. No two cells would co-ordinate, so nothing could exist. If DNA is the canvas, without RNA there are no brushes or paint.

These new-found obelisks could be a whole new class of infectious agent that are somewhat similar to viroids, which are circular RNA and cause only hepatitis D. Viroids need a host to replicate, and can infect cells with a nucleus – which is where chromosomes are kept. Unlike a virus, there is no protein coat which is what makes them the simplest self-replicating genetic material on Earth.

Obelisks were discovered by a Stanford University team sifting through an RNA database of thousands and thousands of sequences isolated from a whole lot of, well …

Literally. It was human excrement.

What researchers identified were distinct loops of RNA that didn’t code for proteins – its main job. They even found these obelisks in the common oral bacterium Streptococcus sanguinis. A binding target for pathogens in dental plaque (which is bad enough) if S. Sanguinis enters the bloodstream through dental surgery or cleaning, it colonises the heart valves and causes bacterial endocarditis.

There’s a heart-stopper right there. And these obelisks were found in almost 10% of the study group.

Obelisks differ in structure and shape, but they are the first pathogens to be found in bacteria cells, rather than more complex organisms. Further study is need to determine disease and infection capabilities, and could even trace the origin of life itself; having played a role in the multitude of species there are in the world.

That’s monumental.

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