Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38238588›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of antibiotics2024

The tunicamycin derivative TunR2 exhibits potent antibiotic properties with low toxicity in an in vivo Mycobacterium marinum-zebrafish TB infection model.

Hannah J T Nonarath, Michael A Jackson, Renee M Penoske, Thomas C Zahrt, Neil P J Price, Brian A Link

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of antibiotics, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 27% 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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Over-expression, purification, and kinetic analysis ofJournal of enzyme inhibition and medicinal chemistry · 2026
    Article
  2. 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

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Hannah J T NonarathDepartment of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
Michael A JacksonUSDA, Agricultural Research Service, Renewable Products Technology Research, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, 1815 N. University St., Peoria, IL, 61604, USA.
Renee M PenoskeDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
Thomas C ZahrtDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
Neil P J PriceUSDA, Agricultural Research Service, Renewable Products Technology Research, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, 1815 N. University St., Peoria, IL, 61604, USA. neil.price@usda.gov.ORCID 0000-0001-6255-4357
Brian A LinkDepartment of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA. blink@mcw.edu.
Medical College of Wisconsin · USAgricultural Research Service · US

Funding

Identification of factors essential for age-related neuronal health: insights into common mechanisms of neurodegenerationR21AG066038 · NIA · MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN · PI LINK, BRIAN A · 2020 to 2020
$429k
Mycobacterium LDs sequester proteins leading to NRPR21AI144225 · NIAID · MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN · PI ZAHRT, THOMAS C. · 2019 to 2020
$424k
NIAID NIH HHS R21 AI144225NIA NIH HHS R21 AG066038
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Tunicamycins (TUN) are well-defined, Streptomyces-derived natural products that inhibit protein N-glycosylation in eukaryotes, and by a conserved mechanism also block bacterial cell wall biosynthesis. TUN inhibits the polyprenylphosphate-N-acetyl-hexosamine-1-phospho-transferases (PNPT), an essential family of enzymes found in both bacteria and eukaryotes. We have previously published the development of chemically modified TUN, called TunR1 and TunR2, that have considerably reduced activity on eukaryotes but that retain the potent antibacterial properties. A mechanism for this reduced toxicity has also been reported. TunR1 and TunR2 have been tested against mammalian cell lines in culture and against live insect cells but, until now, no in vivo evaluation has been undertaken for vertebrates. In the current work, TUN, TunR1, and TunR2 are investigated for their relative toxicity and antimycobacterial activity in zebrafish using a well-established Mycobacterium marinum (M. marinum) infection system, a model for studying human Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections. We also report the relative ability to activate the unfolded protein response (UPR), the known mechanism for the eukaryotic toxicity observed with TUN treatment. Importantly, TunR1 and TunR2 retained their antimicrobial properties, as evidenced by a reduction in M. marinum bacterial burden, compared to DMSO-treated zebrafish. In summary, findings from this study highlight the characteristics of recently developed TUN derivatives, mainly TunR2, and its potential for use as a novel anti-bacterial agent for veterinary and potential medical purposes.

Indexed as

Mycobacterium Infections, NontuberculousMycobacterium marinumTunicamycinAnimalsAnti-Bacterial AgentsHumansMammalsPhosphotransferasesZebrafishAnti-Bacterial AgentsPhosphotransferasesTunicamycinTunR2

Identifiers

PMID38238588
PMCPMC11403873
OpenAlexW4390976475

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceTDM
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.