Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32811434›Full record

ArticleBMC microbiology2020

The aceE involves in mycolic acid synthesis and biofilm formation in Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Suting Chen, Tianlu Teng, Shuan Wen, Tingting Zhang, Hairong Huang

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC microbiology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 20% 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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. mSystems · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Population heterogeneity inMicrobiology (Reading, England) · 2023
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Enhanced immunogenicity ofCell surface (Amsterdam, Netherlands) · 2022
    Article
  7. Insertion Mutation ofInfection and drug resistance · 2022
    Article
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 2 institutions in 1 country.

Suting ChenNational Clinical Laboratory on Tuberculosis, Beijing Key laboratory for Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Institute, Beijing, 101149, China.
Tianlu TengNational Clinical Laboratory on Tuberculosis, Beijing Key laboratory for Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Institute, Beijing, 101149, China.
Shuan WenNational Clinical Laboratory on Tuberculosis, Beijing Key laboratory for Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Institute, Beijing, 101149, China.
Tingting ZhangNational Clinical Laboratory on Tuberculosis, Beijing Key laboratory for Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Institute, Beijing, 101149, China.
Hairong HuangNational Clinical Laboratory on Tuberculosis, Beijing Key laboratory for Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Institute, Beijing, 101149, China. hhr_jys@163.com.
Capital Medical University · CNBeijing Chest Hospital · CN

Funding

Beijing Natural Science Foundation 5192006National Major Science and Technology Projects of China 2018ZX10302-301-004National Natural Science Foundation of China 31600107National Natural Science Foundation of China 81672065
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe integrity of cell wall structure is highly significant for the in vivo survival of mycobacteria. We hypothesized that changes in morphology may indicate changes in cell wall metabolism and identified an aceE gene mutant (aceE-mut) which presented a deficient colony morphology on 7H10 agar by screening transposon mutagenesis in Mycolicibacterium smegmatis, basonym Mycobacterium smegmatis (M. smegmatis). This study aimed to identify the functional role of aceE gene in cell wall biosynthesis in M. smegmatis.

resultsWe observed that the colony morphology of aceE-mut was quite different, smaller and smoother on the solid culture medium than the wild-type (WT) strain during the transposon library screening of M. smegmatis. Notably, in contrast with the WT, which aggregates and forms biofilm, the aceE-mut lost its ability of growing aggregately and biofilm formation, which are two very important features of mycobacteria. The morphological changes in the aceE-mut strain were further confirmed by electron microscopy which indicated smoother and thinner cell envelope images in contrast with the rough morphology of WT strains. Additionally, the aceE-mut was more fragile to acidic stress and exhibited a pronounced defects in entering the macrophages as compared to the WT. The analysis of mycolic acid (MA) using LC-MS indicated deficiency of alpha-MA and epoxy-MA in aceE-mut strain whereas complementation of the aceE-mut with a wild-type aceE gene restored the composition of MA.

conclusionsOver all, this study indicates that aceE gene plays a significant role in the mycolic acid synthesis and affects the colony morphology, biofilm formation of M. smegmatis and bacteria invasion of macrophage.

Indexed as

MutationBacterial ProteinsBiofilmsChromatography, LiquidGenetic Complementation TestMass SpectrometryMembrane ProteinsMicrobial Sensitivity TestsMicroscopy, ElectronMutagenesis, Site-DirectedMycobacterium smegmatisMycolic AcidsBacterial ProteinsMembrane ProteinsMycolic AcidsaceEBiofilmCell wallMycobacterium smegmatisMycolic acid

Identifiers

PMID32811434
PMCPMC7437000
OpenAlexW3062332458

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.