Evidence map›Paper›PMID 20161744›Full record

ArticlePloS one2010

Role of the gerP operon in germination and outgrowth of Bacillus anthracis spores.

Katherine A Carr, Brian K Janes, Philip C Hanna

Erratum issuedOpen access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 16 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
16citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

16 citing papers in PubMed, 38 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Phenotypic analysis of variousApplied and environmental microbiology · 2025
    Article
  2. Sporulation at reduced water activity impairs germination kinetics ofApplied and environmental microbiology · 2025
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Proteins Encoded by theApplied and environmental microbiology · 2018
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

  • Erratum issued
5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Katherine A CarrDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America.
Brian K Janes
Philip C Hanna
Michigan United · USUniversity of Michigan–Ann Arbor · US

Funding

NIAID NIH HHS N01 AI040059NIAID NIH HHS N266200400059C/N01-AI-40059
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Germination of Bacillus anthracis spores occurs when nutrients such as amino acids or purine nucleosides stimulate specific germinant receptors located in the spore inner membrane. The gerP(ABCDEF) operon has been suggested to play a role in facilitating the interaction between germinants and their receptors in spores of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus. B. anthracis mutants containing deletions in each of the six genes belonging to the orthologue of the gerP(ABCDEF) operon, or deletion of the entire operon, were tested for their ability to germinate. Deletion of the entire gerP operon resulted in a significant delay in germination in response to nutrient germinants. These spores eventually germinated to levels equivalent to wild-type, suggesting that an additional entry point for nutrient germinants may exist. Deletions of each individual gene resulted in a similar phenotype, with the exception of DeltagerPF, which showed no obvious defect. The removal of two additional gerPF-like orthologues was necessary to achieve the germination defect observed for the other mutants. Upon physical removal of the spore coat, the mutant lacking the full gerP operon no longer exhibited a germination defect, suggesting that the GerP proteins play a role in spore coat permeability. Additionally, each of the gerP mutants exhibited a severe defect in calcium-dipicolinic acid (Ca-DPA)-dependent germination, suggesting a role for the GerP proteins in this process. Collectively, these data implicate all GerP proteins in the early stages of spore germination.

Indexed as

MutationAlanineBacillus anthracisBacterial ProteinsCalciumCell DivisionGene DeletionGenetic Complementation TestInosineOperonPicolinic AcidsSpores, BacterialTime FactorsAlanineBacterial ProteinsCalciumdipicolinic acidInosinePicolinic Acids

Identifiers

PMID20161744
PMCPMC2817736
OpenAlexW2053379430

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.