Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26243263›Full record

ArticleMicrobiology (Reading, England)2015

The bactericidal activity of β-lactam antibiotics is increased by metabolizable sugar species.

Mette Thorsing, Thomas Bentin, Michael Givskov, Tim Tolker-Nielsen, Lise Goltermann

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Microbiology (Reading, England), 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 50% 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

14 citing papers in PubMed, 17 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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  8. d-Mannose Treatment neither Affects UropathogenicMolecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Review
  13. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.

Mette ThorsingCosterton Biofilm Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3b, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Thomas BentinDepartment of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3b, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Michael GivskovCosterton Biofilm Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3b, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Tim Tolker-NielsenCosterton Biofilm Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3b, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Lise GoltermannCosterton Biofilm Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3b, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
University of Copenhagen · DK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Here, the influence of metabolizable sugars on the susceptibility of Escherichia coli to β-lactam antibiotics was investigated. Notably, monitoring growth and survival of mono- and combination-treated planktonic cultures showed a 1000- to 10 000-fold higher antibacterial efficacy of carbenicillin and cefuroxime in the presence of certain sugars, whereas other metabolites had no effect on β-lactam sensitivity. This effect was unrelated to changes in growth rate. Light microscopy and flow cytometry profiling revealed that bacterial filaments, formed due to β-lactam-mediated inhibition of cell division, rapidly appeared upon β-lactam mono-treatment and remained stable for up to 18 h. The presence of metabolizable sugars in the medium did not change the rate of filamentation, but led to lysis of the filaments within a few hours. No lysis occurred in E. coli mutants unable to metabolize the sugars, thus establishing sugar metabolism as an important factor influencing the bactericidal outcome of β-lactam treatment. Interestingly, the effect of sugar on β-lactam susceptibility was suppressed in a strain unable to synthesize the nutrient stress alarmone (p)ppGpp. Here, to the best of our knowledge, we demonstrate for the first time a specific and significant increase in β-lactam sensitivity due to sugar metabolism in planktonic, exponentially growing bacteria, unrelated to general nutrient availability or growth rate. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the nutritional influences on antibiotic sensitivity is likely to reveal new proteins or pathways that can be targeted by novel compounds, adding to the list of pharmacodynamic adjuvants that increase the efficiency and lifespan of conventional antibiotics.

Indexed as

Carbohydrate MetabolismDrug SynergismAnti-Bacterial AgentsBacteriolysisbeta-LactamsCarbenicillinCarbohydratesCefuroximeEscherichia coliFlow CytometryMicrobial ViabilityMicroscopyAnti-Bacterial Agentsbeta-LactamsCarbenicillinCarbohydratesCefuroxime

Identifiers

PMID26243263
PMCPMC4635459
OpenAlexW1961453565

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.