Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34751916›Full record

ArticleMolecular biology reports2022

Survey on phenotypic resistance in Enterococcus faecalis: comparison between the expression of biofilm-associated genes in Enterococcus faecalis persister and non-persister cells.

Vahab Hassan Kaviar, Saeed Khoshnood, Parisa Asadollahi, Behrooz Sadeghi Kalani, Abbas Maleki, Sanaz Yarahmadi, Iraj Pakzad

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In one paragraph

Article in Molecular biology reports, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 32% 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

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Review
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  5. Review
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  8. Frontiers in microbiology · 2022
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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

7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Vahab Hassan KaviarDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Science, Ilam, Iran.
Saeed KhoshnoodClinical Microbiology Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.
Parisa AsadollahiDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Science, Ilam, Iran.
Behrooz Sadeghi KalaniDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Science, Ilam, Iran.
Abbas MalekiClinical Microbiology Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.
Sanaz YarahmadiDepartment of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Iraj PakzadDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Science, Ilam, Iran. Pakzadi2006@gmail.com.
Ilam University · IRMedical University of Ilam · IRAhvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences · IR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPhenotypic resistance is considered as a serious therapeutic challenge for which a definitive remedy has not been discovered yet. Biofilm and persister cell formation are two well-studied phenotypic resistance phenomena, leading to the recalcitrance and relapse of different types of chronic infections. The presence of persister cells in biofilm structures seems to be one of the main factors contributing to the relapse of infections and treatment failure. Given the dormant and inert nature of persister cells, they can be easy targets for the immune system factors. Biofilm formation can be a survival strategy for the defenseless persister cells. Thus, this study was aimed to evaluate the expression of biofilm-associated genes in Enterococcus faecalis persister and non-persister cells.

methodsVancomycin susceptibility and biofilm formation ability were investigated among 95 E. faecalis clinical isolates using microtiter broth dilution and microtiter plate assays, respectively. PCR was used to determine the presence of biofilm-related genes (gelE, esp, and agg) among the vancomycin-susceptible, biofilm producer E. faecalis isolates (91 isolates). Minimum bactericidal concentration for biofilms (MBCB) were determined for vancomycin using the MTP assay. Bacterial persister assay was performed using an enzymatic lysis assay. Finally, the expression of biofilm-related genes was compared between the persister and non-persister isolates of E. faecalis using real-time qPCR.

resultsE. faecalis isolates showed a high level of susceptibility (95.8%) to vancomycin (MIC < 1 µg/mL). The gelE, esp, and agg genes were found in 91 (100%), 72 (79.12), and 74 (81.32) of the isolates, respectively. All the E. faecalis isolates were tolerant to vancomycin in the biofilm condition, showing a MBCB of > 2500 µg/mL. Based on the enzymatic lysis assay, only 3 isolates, out of the 91, had the ability to form persister cells. The expression of biofilm-associated genes was higher among the persister compared to non-persister E. faecalis isolates.

conclusionsBiofilm-associated persister cells indicated a high vancomycin tolerance compared to non-persister cells. Moreover, persister isolates showed a higher tendency for biofilm formation and a higher expression level of the biofilm-associated genes, compared to non-persister isolates.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsBiofilmsBiological Variation, PopulationEnterococcus faecalisGenes, BacterialMicrobial Sensitivity TestsVancomycinVirulenceVirulence FactorsAnti-Bacterial AgentsVancomycinVirulence FactorsBiofilm formationE. faecalisPersisterPhenotypic resistanceToleranceVancomycin

Identifiers

PMID34751916
OpenAlexW3213279969

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Registered trials

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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.