Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32556478›Full record

ArticleCurrent microbiology2020

Virulence Conferred by PumA Toxin from the Plasmid-Encoded PumAB Toxin-Antitoxin System is Regulated by Quorum System.

Karen C Hernández-Ramírez, Brenda Valerio-Arellano, Marco I Valle-Maldonado, León F Ruíz-Herrera, Victor Meza-Carmen, Martha I Ramírez-Díaz

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Current microbiology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 29% 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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Insights into toxin-antitoxin systems in the genusApplied and environmental microbiology · 2025
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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

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Karen C Hernández-RamírezInstituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Edificio B-3, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
Brenda Valerio-ArellanoFacultad de Químico Farmacobiología, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
Marco I Valle-MaldonadoInstituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Edificio B-3, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
León F Ruíz-HerreraInstituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Edificio B-3, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
Victor Meza-CarmenInstituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Edificio B-3, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
Martha I Ramírez-DíazInstituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Edificio B-3, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. martha.ramirez@umich.mx.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0125-346X
Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo · MX

Funding

Coordinación de la Investigación Científica, UMSNH 2.35Coordinación de la Investigación Científica, UMSNH 2.6
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are small genetic elements composed of a toxin gene and its cognate antitoxin that are important for plasmid stabilization (plasmid-encoded) and bacterial virulence (chromosome-encoded). These systems are also related to biofilm and persister cell formations. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an antibiotic-resistant human pathogen that produces virulence factors modulated by quorum sensing (QS) and can form biofilms. The type II PumAB TA system of pUM505, isolated from a clinical strain of P. aeruginosa, confers plasmid stability. Additionally, the PumA toxin increases P. aeruginosa virulence and is neutralized by the PumB antitoxin. In this study, we determined whether virulence conferred by PumA toxin is regulated by QS. The pumA gene was transferred to P. aeruginosa lasI/rhlI, a mutant strain in the LasI and RhlI QS systems, to analyze the effect on virulence of the transformants. pumA transfer did not increase bacterial virulence in lettuce and Caenorhabditis elegans, suggesting that the virulence conferred by PumA requires QS modulation. pumA mRNA levels drastically decreased in the P. aeruginosa lasI/rhlI (pUC_pumA) strain, suggesting positive regulation of pumA gene expression by QS. Supplementation of the growth medium of P. aeruginosa lasI/rhlI (pUC_pumA) with C4-AHL and 3-oxo-C12-AHL autoinducers increased pumA mRNA levels and restored bacterial virulence, suggesting that both autoinducers complemented the mutations and positively regulated the toxic effects of PumA. This strengthened the hypothesis that QS regulates bacterial virulence conferred by the PumA toxin. Thus, this report establishes an important function of QS in the virulence conferred by plasmid-encoded TA systems in bacterial pathogens.

Indexed as

Toxin-Antitoxin SystemsAnimalsApoptosis Regulatory ProteinsBacterial ProteinsBiofilmsGene Expression Regulation, BacterialHumansPlasmidsPseudomonas aeruginosaQuorum SensingVirulenceVirulence FactorsApoptosis Regulatory ProteinsBacterial ProteinsVirulence Factors

Identifiers

PMID32556478
OpenAlexW3036519126

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.