Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34932995›Full record

ArticleCell chemical biology2022

Identification of small molecules that strongly inhibit bacterial quorum sensing using a high-throughput lipid vesicle lysis assay.

Thomas J Polaske, Curran G Gahan, Kayleigh E Nyffeler, David M Lynn, Helen E Blackwell

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cell chemical biology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 37% 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, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. A Small Molecule That Inhibits the Quorum Sensing Receptor AgrC inJournal of the American Chemical Society · 2026
    Article
  2. Molecular Mechanisms of Virulence Regulation inAccounts of chemical research · 2025
    Article
  3. DisarmingPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Chemical and biomolecular insights into theIsrael journal of chemistry · 2023
    Article
  7. β-Lactams from the Ocean.Marine drugs · 2023
    Review
  8. Microorganisms · 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 1 institution in 1 country.

Thomas J PolaskeDepartment of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706, USA.
Curran G GahanDepartment of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1415 Engineering Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA.
Kayleigh E NyffelerDepartment of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706, USA; Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA.
David M LynnDepartment of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1415 Engineering Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA. Electronic address: dlynn@engr.wisc.edu.
Helen E BlackwellDepartment of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706, USA. Electronic address: blackwell@chem.wisc.edu.
University of Wisconsin–Madison · US

Funding

UW COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER SUPPORTP30CA014520 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI AMY TRENTHAM-DIETZ · 1985 to 2026
$142.6M
Chemistry-Biology Interface Training ProgramT32GM008505 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI BLACKWELL, HELEN E. · 1993 to 2023
$9.8M
Materials that Block Quorum Sensing and Attenuate Bacterial Infection in Skin WoundsR21AI135745 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI BLACKWELL, HELEN E. · 2018 to 2019
$408k
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA014520NIAID NIH HHS R21 AI135745NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM008505
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Strategies to both monitor and block bacterial quorum sensing (QS), and thus associated infections, are of significant interest. We developed a straightforward assay to monitor biosurfactants and lytic agents produced by bacteria under the control of QS. The method is based on the lysis of synthetic lipid vesicles containing the environmentally sensitive fluorescent dye calcein. This assay allows for the in situ screening of compounds capable of altering biosurfactant production by bacteria, and thereby the identification of molecules that could potentially modulate QS pathways, and avoids the constraints of many of the cell-based assays in use today. Application of this assay in a high-throughput format revealed five molecules capable of blocking vesicle lysis by S. aureus. Two of these compounds were found to almost completely inhibit agr-based QS in S. aureus and represent the most potent small-molecule-derived QS inhibitors reported in this formidable pathogen.

Indexed as

Quorum SensingStaphylococcus aureusBacteriaBacterial ProteinsLipidsPseudomonas aeruginosaBacterial ProteinsLipidsaccessory gene regulator systembiosurfactantLuxI/LuxR-type signaling systemphenol-soluble modulinPseudomonas aeruginosaquorum sensingrhamnolipidssmall-molecule probesStaphylococcus aureusvirulence

Identifiers

PMID34932995
PMCPMC9035047
OpenAlexW4200371659

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
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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.