Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40517184›Full record

ArticleNPJ biofilms and microbiomes2025

M.marinum lacking epsH shows increased biofilm formation in vitro and boosted antibiotic tolerance in zebrafish.

Saara Lehmusvaara, Alina Sillanpää, Milan Wouters, Rosa Korhonen, Nelli Vahvelainen, Hanna Luukinen, Paulina Deptula, Kirsi Savijoki, Milka Hammarén, Mataleena Parikka

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in NPJ biofilms and microbiomes, 2025. 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. Article
  2. Article
  3. Biofilm Associated Persistence and Drug Tolerance in Mycobacteria Within Host Microenvironments.APMIS : acta pathologica, microbiologica, et immunologica Scandinavica · 2026
    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

10 authors.

Saara Lehmusvaara *Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
Alina Sillanpää *Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
Milan WoutersLaboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium.
Rosa KorhonenFaculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
Nelli VahvelainenFaculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
Hanna LuukinenFaculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
Paulina DeptulaDepartment of Food Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
Kirsi SavijokiFaculty of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Milka HammarénFaculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland. milka.vuoksio@gmail.com.
Mataleena ParikkaFaculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.

Funding

Research Council of Finland 348968Research Council of Finland 348973Wellcome Trust 338624
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Recent discoveries have indicated that biofilm communities may play a role in natural drug tolerance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A transposon-based mutation library of a closely related species, Mycobacterium marinum, was used to identify clones in which the relative amount of extracellular DNA (eDNA), an important component of the extracellular matrix of biofilms, is altered. The disruption of a putative glycosyl transferase gene QDR78 11175, epsH, caused a substantial increase of the eDNA content of biofilms, and increased the growth rate and the biomass/cell in biofilm-forming conditions compared to wild-type. The increased abundance of biomass was mainly due to the elevated levels of eDNA and proteins in the extracellular matrix. The growth of the ΔepsH strain in the zebrafish was normal, but the mutant developed greater antibiotic tolerance in the adult zebrafish model. These results suggest that the extracellular matrix of biofilms increases antibiotic tolerance of mycobacteria during infection.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsBacterial ProteinsBiofilmsGlycosyltransferasesMycobacterium marinumAnimalsDNA, BacterialDNA Transposable ElementsDrug Resistance, BacterialExtracellular MatrixMicrobial Sensitivity TestsMycobacterium Infections, NontuberculousZebrafishAnti-Bacterial AgentsBacterial ProteinsDNA, BacterialDNA Transposable ElementsGlycosyltransferases

Identifiers

PMID40517184
PMCPMC12167362

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.