Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40702445›Full record

ArticleBMC microbiology2025

Filamentous prophages in the genomes of Acinetobacter baumannii from egypt: impact on biofilm formation and the potential to induce enterotoxicity.

Samira M Hamed, Amira Abdel-Daim, Samer A Tadros, Mai M Zafer

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. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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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

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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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.

Samira M HamedDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA), Giza, Egypt.
Amira Abdel-DaimDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA), Giza, Egypt.
Samer A TadrosDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA), Giza, Egypt.
Mai M ZaferMicrobiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ahram Canadian University, 6th of October, Egypt. maizafer@acu.edu.eg.ORCID 0000-0002-4507-376X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Filamentous phages (FPs) have been recently isolated from Acinetobacter baumannii. While FPs are known to modulate the virulence of some Gram-negative pathogens, their role in A. baumannii has not been fully explored. This study analyzed 18 clinical isolates of A. baumannii from global clones (GC), with draft genomes generated by Illumina sequencing. All isolates were screened for filamentous prophage (FPP) genomes using the Zonula occludens toxin (Zot)-coding gene as a marker. Nine out of the 18 isolates were found to carry zot genes. The complete sequences of four FPPs were predicted. FPPs were exclusively found within GC1, GC7, and GC9 strains. Among the A. baumannii genomes deposited in the NCBI genomic database, FPPs were found to be disseminated in 42 Pasteur STs spanning at least six GCs, most commonly GC1. The impact of FPs on biofilm formation in A. baumannii was investigated using crystal violet assay. None of the zot-negative isolates formed strong biofilms, while six (66.6%) zot-positive isolates did. The biofilm indices of zot-positive isolates were significantly higher compared to zot-negative isolates. The potential enterotoxicity of the zot-positive strains was also assessed using in silico and experimental methods. The cytotoxic effect of cell-free supernatants (CFSs) on Caco-2 cells was measured by the MTT assay. Cells treated with CFSs from zot-positive strains exhibited significantly higher cytotoxicity than those treated with CFSs from zot-negative strains. Upon injecting the CFS of a zot-positive strain intraperitoneally into BALB/c mice, severe diarrhea was observed within 6 h. Histological examination of the intestinal tissue 24 h post-injection revealed significant changes. In conclusion, this study suggests that FPPs are widely disseminated in A. baumannii GCs and may enhance biofilm formation and enterotoxicity, potentially contributing to the pathogen's virulence.

Indexed as

Acinetobacter baumanniiBiofilmsProphagesAcinetobacter InfectionsAnimalsCaco-2 CellsEgyptGenome, BacterialGenome, ViralHumansMiceVirulenceAcinetobacter baumanniiBiofilmEnterotoxicityFilamentous phageGlobal clonesWhole genome sequencingZonula occludens toxin

Identifiers

PMID40702445
PMCPMC12285184

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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.