Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40057696›Full record

ArticleBMC microbiology2025

Characterization of a novel lytic phage vB_AbaM_AB4P2 encoding depolymerase and its application in eliminating biofilms formed by Acinetobacter baumannii.

Jianhui Su, Yujing Tan, Shenshen Liu, Huanhuan Zou, Xiaoyi Huang, Siyi Chen, Hongmei Zhang, Shaoting Li, Haiyan Zeng

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 14 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing 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

14 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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  6. Revisiting the Fight AgainstAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
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  12. Detachable dissolving microneedles loaded withFrontiers in microbiology · 2026
    Article
  13. Advances in phage therapy forFrontiers in microbiology · 2026
    Review
  14. 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

9 authors.

Jianhui Su *School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Waihuan West Road 100, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, 510006, China.
Yujing Tan *School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Waihuan West Road 100, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, 510006, China.
Shenshen Liu *School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Waihuan West Road 100, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, 510006, China.
Huanhuan ZouSchool of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Waihuan West Road 100, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, 510006, China.
Xiaoyi HuangSchool of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Waihuan West Road 100, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, 510006, China.
Siyi ChenSchool of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Waihuan West Road 100, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, 510006, China.
Hongmei ZhangSchool of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Waihuan West Road 100, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, 510006, China.
Shaoting LiSchool of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Waihuan West Road 100, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, 510006, China.
Haiyan ZengSchool of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Waihuan West Road 100, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, 510006, China. zenghy@aliyun.com.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 32072327
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAcinetobacter baumannii strains are a primary cause of hospital-acquired infections. This bacterium frequently causes biofilm-related infections, notably ventilator-associated pneumonia and catheter-related infections, which exhibit remarkable resistance to antibiotic treatment, posing a severe challenge in the prevention of A. baumannii infections. Therefore, strategies to eliminate the biofilm of A. baumannii in catheters are becoming increasingly important. Phages are capable of lysing bacteria and have a certain effect on the ablation of biofilms.

methodsSewage treatment plant water was collected for the isolation of A. baumannii phages. The morphological, host range, one-step growth, temperature and pH stability, bactericidal activity, sequencing and genomic analysis were performed to characterize the isolated phage. The three-dimensional structure of the tail fiber protein was predicted by AlphaFold3. The efficacy of phage in clearing biofilms of A. baumannii from 24-well plates and PVC catheters was also evaluated.

resultsIn this study, A. baumannii lytic phage vB_AbaM_AB4P2 was isolated from sewage treatment plant water, showing a clear plaque with halo zone. One-step growth assays unveiled a 20-minute latent period and a burst size of 61 plaque forming unit/cell (PFU/cell). At the same time, phage AB4P2 exhibited remarkable stability at pH 3-11 and temperatures 30-70 °C. Its dsDNA genome is composed of 45,680 bp with a G + C content of 46.13%. Genomic and phylogenetic analysis situated phage AB4P2 as a new species of Caudoviricetes class. Its fiber protein possesses a pectin lyase-like domain that is linked to depolymerase activity, playing a crucial role in disrupting biofilms. Additionally, it also encodes a lysis cassette comprising endolysin, holin and Rz-like spanin, yet lacks any genes responsible for antibiotic resistance and virulence factors. Phage AB4P2 can completely inhibit A. baumannii growth for 16 h. In the 24-well plate and the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) catheter model experiments, phage AB4P2 achieved a significant biofilm ablation rate and effectively killed the live bacterial cells in the biofilm.

conclusionsPhage AB4P2 had good environmental stability and strong ability to inhibit the growth of A. baumannii and destroy formed biofilms by A. baumannii. It exhibits promising potential for development as an alternative environmental disinfectant against A. baumannii in the hospital. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

Indexed as

Acinetobacter baumanniiBacteriophagesBiofilmsGenome, ViralHost SpecificityPhylogenySewageSewageAcinetobacter baumanniiBiofilmCatheterDepolymeraseGenomePhage

Identifiers

PMID40057696
PMCPMC11889872

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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.