Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39838279›Full record

ArticleBMC microbiology2025

Fluoroquinolone-specific resistance trajectories in E. coli and their dependence on the SOS-response.

Lisa Teichmann, Sam Luitwieler, Johan Bengtsson-Palme, Benno Ter Kuile

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC microbiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing 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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Proteostasis-targeted antibacterial strategies.Journal of microbiology (Seoul, Korea) · 2026
    Review
  5. Fluoroquinolone Resistance Patterns in Multidrug-ResistantAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Article
  6. 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

4 authors.

Lisa TeichmannUniversity of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Sam LuitwielerUniversity of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Johan Bengtsson-PalmeDepartment of Life Sciences, SciLifeLab, Division of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Benno Ter KuileUniversity of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. b.h.terkuile@uva.nl.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFluoroquinolones are indispensable antibiotics used in treating bacterial infections in both human and veterinary medicine. However, resistance to these drugs presents a growing challenge. The SOS response, a DNA repair pathway activated by DNA damage, is known to influence resistance development, yet its role in fluoroquinolone resistance is not fully understood. This study aims to unfold the mechanisms of fluoroquinolone resistance by investigating the impact of the SOS response on bacterial adaptation.

resultsWe exposed Escherichia coli to four fluoroquinolones-ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin. Using a recA knockout mutant, deficient in the SOS response, as a control, we assessed how the presence or absence of this pathway affects resistance development. Our findings demonstrated that the rate of resistance evolution varied between the different fluoroquinolones. Ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, and moxifloxacin exposures led to the most evident reliance on the SOS response for resistance, whereas levofloxacin exposed cultures showed less dependency. Whole genome analysis indicated distinct genetic changes associated with each fluoroquinolone, highlighting potential different pathways and mechanisms involved in resistance.

conclusionsThis study shows that the SOS response plays a crucial role in resistance development to certain fluoroquinolones, with varying dependencies per drug. The characteristic impact of fluoroquinolones on resistance mechanisms emphasizes the need to consider the unique properties of each antibiotic in resistance studies and treatment strategies. These findings are essential for improving antibiotic stewardship and developing more effective, tailored interventions to combat resistance.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsDrug Resistance, BacterialEscherichia coliFluoroquinolonesSOS Response, GeneticsCiprofloxacinDNA-Binding ProteinsEscherichia coli ProteinsLevofloxacinMicrobial Sensitivity TestsMoxifloxacinRec A RecombinasesAnti-Bacterial AgentsCiprofloxacinDNA-Binding ProteinsEscherichia coli ProteinsFluoroquinolonesLevofloxacinMoxifloxacinrecA protein, E coliRec A RecombinasesAntibiotic resistanceDe novo resistanceExperimental evolutionFluoroquinolonesSOS response

Identifiers

PMID39838279
PMCPMC11748515

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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.