ArticlePLoS pathogens2013
A product of heme catabolism modulates bacterial function and survival.
Article in PLoS pathogens, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- Potential premalignant status of gastric portion excluded after Roux en-Y gastric bypass in obese women: A pilot study.Scientific reports · 2019Trial
- Heme in Bacterial Pathogenesis and as an Antimicrobial Target.Chemical reviews · 2025Review
- Iron Deficiency and Iron Deficiency Anemia: A Comprehensive Overview of Established and Emerging Concepts.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- The HELP-UnaG Fusion Protein as a Bilirubin Biosensor: From Theory to Mature Technological Development.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Bilirubin-microbiota interaction: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic strategies in neonatal jaundice.Frontiers in microbiology · 2025Review
- Integrated annotation prioritizes metabolites with bioactivity in inflammatory bowel disease.Molecular systems biology · 2024Article
- Copy Number Variation onMicrobiology spectrum · 2023Article
- Heme acquisition and tolerance in Gram-positive model bacteria: An orchestrated balance.Heliyon · 2023Review
- Outer Membrane Integrity-Dependent Fluorescence of the Japanese Eel UnaG Protein in LiveBiosensors · 2023Article
- Effects of bilirubin on the development and electrical activity of neural circuits.Frontiers in cellular neuroscience · 2023Review
- Association of Neonatal Jaundice with Gut Dysbiosis Characterized by Decreased Bifidobacteriales.Metabolites · 2021Article
- The Integrity of Heme Is Essential for Reproducible Detection of Metronidazole-Resistant Clostridioides difficile by Agar Dilution Susceptibility Tests.Journal of clinical microbiology · 2021Article
- Comparative Pathogenomics ofInfection and immunity · 2021Article
- Gilbert's Syndrome and the Gut Microbiota - Insights From the Case-Control BILIHEALTH Study.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2021Article
- The role of microbiota in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.American journal of translational research · 2020Review
- Heme catabolism in the causative agent of anthrax.Molecular microbiology · 2019Article
- Heme sensing and detoxification by HatRT contributes to pathogenesis during Clostridium difficile infection.PLoS pathogens · 2018Article
- Adaptive response of neonatal sepsis-derived Group B Streptococcus to bilirubin.Scientific reports · 2018Article
- Escherichia coli Free Radical-Based Killing Mechanism Driven by a Unique Combination of Iron Restriction and Certain Antibiotics.Journal of bacteriology · 2015Article
- Heme, an essential nutrient from dietary proteins, critically impacts diverse physiological and pathological processes.Nutrients · 2014Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Bilirubin is the terminal metabolite in heme catabolism in mammals. After deposition into bile, bilirubin is released in large quantities into the mammalian gastrointestinal (GI) tract. We hypothesized that intestinal bilirubin may modulate the function of enteric bacteria. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effect of bilirubin on two enteric pathogens; enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), a Gram-negative that causes life-threatening intestinal infections, and E. faecalis, a Gram-positive human commensal bacterium known to be an opportunistic pathogen with broad-spectrum antibiotic resistance. We demonstrate that bilirubin can protect EHEC from exogenous and host-generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) through the absorption of free radicals. In contrast, E. faecalis was highly susceptible to bilirubin, which causes significant membrane disruption and uncoupling of respiratory metabolism in this bacterium. Interestingly, similar results were observed for other Gram-positive bacteria, including B. cereus and S. aureus. A model is proposed whereby bilirubin places distinct selective pressure on enteric bacteria, with Gram-negative bacteria being protected from ROS (positive outcome) and Gram-positive bacteria being susceptible to membrane disruption (negative outcome). This work suggests bilirubin has differential but biologically relevant effects on bacteria and justifies additional efforts to determine the role of this neglected waste catabolite in disease processes, including animal models.
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Registered trials
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.