Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40595622›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Human neutrophil α-defensin HNP1 interacts with bacterial OmpA to promote Acinetobacter baumannii biofilm formation.

Chongbing Liao, Qihui Liu, Gan Luo, Yinyue Luo, Dan Yao, Qingxia Wang, Jue Zhang, Yang Wu, Jialin Jin, Dan Xu and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing 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

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Computer-Aided Design ofACS medicinal chemistry letters · 2026
    Article
  2. New Insights intoPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. 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

11 authors.

Chongbing Liao *Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9400-6603
Qihui Liu *Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Gan Luo *Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Yinyue LuoKey Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Dan YaoKey Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Qingxia WangDepartment of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education and PLA, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Jue ZhangKey Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8956-511X
Yang WuKey Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. yangwu@fudan.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1358-2807
Jialin JinDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. jinjialin@fudan.edu.cn.
Dan XuSchool of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China. dan.xu@xjtu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4092-4059
Wuyuan LuKey Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. luwuyuan@fudan.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1318-9968

Funding

China Postdoctoral Science Foundation 2021M690666China Postdoctoral Science Foundation 2022T150129National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82030062National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82202529Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission) ZD2021CY001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Acinetobacter baumannii is the causative agent of a wide range of nosocomial and community-acquired infections that remain extremely difficult to treat due largely to its antibiotic resistance contributed, in part, by biofilm formation. We find that the prototypic human neutrophil α-defensin HNP1, present in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids from Acinetobacter baumannii-infected patients, promotes Acinetobacter baumannii biofilm formation through interactions with the bacterial outer membrane protein OmpA. As a result of HNP1-enhanced biofilm formation, Acinetobacter baumannii becomes more tolerant to antibiotics and more readily colonizes host cells and tissues. These unexpected findings contrast the protective roles HNP1 plays in innate immunity against microbial infection, showcasing an example of the host-pathogen arms race where a host defense peptide is exploited by a microbe for pathogenicity.

Indexed as

Acinetobacter baumanniiAcinetobacter Infectionsalpha-DefensinsBacterial Outer Membrane ProteinsBiofilmsAnimalsAnti-Bacterial AgentsBronchoalveolar Lavage FluidHost-Pathogen InteractionsHumansNeutrophilsalpha-DefensinsAnti-Bacterial AgentsBacterial Outer Membrane Proteinshuman neutrophil peptide 1OMPA outer membrane proteins

Identifiers

PMID40595622
PMCPMC12216189

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.