Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39102054›Full record

ArticleApplied microbiology and biotechnology2024

Anti-virulence potential of iclaprim, a novel folic acid synthesis inhibitor, against Staphylococcus aureus.

Lingyun Hao, Jingwen Zhou, Han Yang, Chunyan He, Wen Shu, Haoyue Song, Qingzhong Liu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Applied microbiology and biotechnology, 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
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

  1. Frontiers in microbiology · 2026
    Article
  2. Review
  3. DisarmingPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Review
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.

Lingyun Hao *Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Jingwen Zhou *Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 274 Zhijiang Middle Rd., Shanghai, 200071, China.
Han YangDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Chunyan HeDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Wen ShuDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Haoyue SongDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Qingzhong LiuDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 274 Zhijiang Middle Rd., Shanghai, 200071, China. jiaodamedicine@foxmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-7803-441X

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82172281Natural Science Foundation, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai 20ZR1444800
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus pose a significant global public problem. Therefore, new antibiotics and therapeutic strategies are needed to combat this pathogen. This investigation delves into the effects of iclaprim, a newly discovered inhibitor of folic acid synthesis, on S. aureus virulence. The phenotypic and genotypic effects of iclaprim were thoroughly examined in relation to virulence factors, biofilm formation, and dispersal, as well as partial virulence-encoding genes associated with exoproteins, adherence, and regulation in S. aureus MW2, N315, and ATCC 25923. Then, the in vivo effectiveness of iclaprim on S. aureus pathogenicity was explored by a Galleria mellonella larvae infection model. The use of iclaprim at sub-inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) resulted in a reduction of α-hemolysin (Hla) production and a differential effect on the activity of coagulase in S. aureus strains. The results of biofilm formation and eradication assay showed that iclaprim was highly effective in depolymerizing the mature biofilm of S. aureus strains at concentrations of 1 MIC or greater, however, inhibited the biofilm-forming ability of only strains N315 and ATCC 25923 at sub-MICs. Interestingly, treatment of strains with sub-MICs of iclaprim resulted in significant stimulation or suppression of most virulence-encoding genes expression. Iclaprim did not affect the production of δ-hemolysin or staphylococcal protein A (SpA), nor did it impact the total activity of proteases, nucleases, and lipases. In vivo testing showed that sub-MICs of iclaprim significantly improves infected larvae survival. The present study offered valuable insights towards a better understating of the influence of iclaprim on different strains of S. aureus. The findings suggest that iclaprim may have potential as an anti-virulence and antibiofilm agent, thus potentially mitigating the pathogenicity of S. aureus and improving clinical outcomes associated with infections caused by this pathogen. KEY POINTS: • Iclaprim effectively inhibits α-hemolysin production and biofilm formation in a strain-dependent manner and was an excellent depolymerizing agent of mature biofilm • Iclaprim affected the mRNA expression of virulence-encoding genes associated with exoproteins, adherence, and regulation • In vivo study in G. mellonella larvae challenged with S. aureus exhibited that iclaprim improves larvae survival.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsBiofilmsLarvaMicrobial Sensitivity TestsStaphylococcal InfectionsStaphylococcus aureusVirulence FactorsAnimalsCoagulaseDisease Models, AnimalFolic AcidFolic Acid AntagonistsHemolysin ProteinsMothsPyrimidinesVirulenceAnti-Bacterial AgentsCoagulaseFolic AcidFolic Acid AntagonistsHemolysin ProteinsiclaprimPyrimidinesVirulence FactorsAntibiofilmAnti-virulenceIclaprimStaphylococcus aureusSub-inhibitory concentration

Identifiers

PMID39102054
PMCPMC11300511

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.