Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40913087›Full record

ArticleNature microbiology2025

Pseudomonas aeruginosa senses exopolysaccharide trails using type IV pili and adhesins during biofilm formation.

William C Schmidt, Calvin K Lee, Xuhui Zheng, Jonathan W Chen, Kirsten L Fetah, James R Popoli, Yun Su Choi, Thomas D Young, Paul S Weiss, Andrea M Kasko and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature microbiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing 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

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Role of cell-associated and secretion-independent virulence factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in microbial keratitis and anti-virulence therapeutic strategies.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2026
    Review
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. 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

13 authors.

William C Schmidt *Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9780-9495
Calvin K Lee *Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6789-0317
Xuhui ZhengDepartment of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Jonathan W ChenDepartment of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5283-243X
Kirsten L FetahDepartment of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
James R PopoliDepartment of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-9666-9321
Yun Su ChoiDepartment of Microbiology, Immunology, & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-9684-4368
Thomas D YoungDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3234-7418
Paul S WeissDepartment of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5527-6248
Andrea M KaskoDepartment of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
George A O'TooleDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA. georgeo@dartmouth.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2861-4392
Matthew R ParsekDepartment of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. parsem@u.washington.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2932-7966
Gerard C L WongDepartment of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. gclwong@seas.ucla.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0893-6383

Funding

MULTIDISCIPLINARY TRAINING IN MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIST32AI007323 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI Peter John Bradley · 1988 to 2026
$8.6M
The pel exopolysaccharide gene cluster of Pseudomonas aeruginosaR01AI077628 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI MATTHEW R. PARSEK, Daniel J Wozniak · 2009 to 2026
$7.1M
cdiGMP regulation of Biofilm FormationR37AI083256 · NIAID · DARTMOUTH COLLEGE · PI O'TOOLE, GEORGE A. · 2014 to 2023
$4.7M
Systems in Integrative BiologyT32GM008185 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI CHOU, TOM · 1987 to 2022
$4.6M
The biofilm matrix of P. aeruginosaR01AI143916 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI MACCOSS, MICHAEL, PARSEK, MATTHEW R. · 2019 to 2023
$2.9M
Surface sensing, memory, and motility control in biofilm formationR01AI143730 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI O'TOOLE, GEORGE A., WONG, GERARD C · 2019 to 2023
$2.0M
National Science Foundation (NSF) DGE-1650604National Science Foundation (NSF) DGE-2034835National Science Foundation (NSF) NSF 1821721NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI077628NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI143730NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI143916NIAID NIH HHS R37 AI083256NIAID NIH HHS T32 AI007323NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM008185United States Department of Defense | United States Army | U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command | Army Research Office (ARO) W911NF-18-1-0254U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 AI43730U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (NIH) R37 AI83256
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

During early stages of biofilm formation, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) PAO1 can sense exopolysaccharide (EPS) trails of Psl deposited on a surface by previous Pa cells to detect trajectories of other cells and to orchestrate motility. This sensory signal is transduced into cyclic diGMP second messengers, but no known Psl receptors and adhesins participate in signal transduction. Here, using bacteria-secreted Psl trails, glycopolymer-patterned surfaces, longitudinal cell tracking, second messenger dual reporters and genetic mutations targeting EPS binding and surface twitching, we find that Pa is capable of sensing EPS directly through mutually constitutive interactions between type IV pili (T4P)-powered twitching and specific adhesin-EPS bonds. This unanticipated mechanochemical surveillance of the Pa environment, where T4P pull against cell-body localized adhesins interacting with EPS trails, such as mannose-binding CdrA, generates a hybrid, transitional planktonic-to-biofilm population with elevated cyclic diGMP and elevated cyclic AMP, as well as increased motility capable of following EPS trails. These results show a generalizable mechanism of surface chemosensing through mechanosensitive appendages.

Indexed as

Adhesins, BacterialBiofilmsFimbriae, BacterialPolysaccharides, BacterialPseudomonas aeruginosaBacterial ProteinsCyclic AMPCyclic GMPFimbriae ProteinsSignal TransductionAdhesins, BacterialBacterial Proteinsbis(3',5')-cyclic diguanylic acidCdrA protein, Pseudomonas aeruginosaCyclic AMPCyclic GMPexopolysaccharide, PseudomonasFimbriae ProteinsPolysaccharides, Bacterial

Identifiers

PMID40913087
PMCPMC13267930

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.