Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41125589›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Bacterial warfare is associated with virulence and antimicrobial resistance.

Connor Sharp, Kevin R Foster

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 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing 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

10 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Identification of iron and zinc responsive TonB-dependent transporters in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Bacteriocins fromFrontiers in microbiology · 2026
    Review
  8. Molecular determinants ofFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026
    Article
  9. microLife · 2026
    Article
  10. 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

2 authors.

Connor SharpDepartment of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. c.sharp@reading.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9424-3622
Kevin R FosterDepartment of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. kevin.foster@path.ox.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4687-6633

Funding

Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust (Wellcome) 209397/Z/17/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Bacteria have evolved a diverse array of mechanisms to inhibit and kill competitors. However, why some bacteria carry such weapons while others do not remains poorly understood. Here we explore this question using the genomics of the bacteriocins of E. coli as a model system, which have large well-annotated bioinformatic resources. While bacteriocins occur widely, we find that carriage is particularly associated with pathogenic extra-intestinal (ExPEC) strains. These pathogens commonly carry large plasmids encoding bacteriocins alongside virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. Across all strains, we find many orphan immunity proteins, which protect against bacteriocins and suggest that these bacterial weapons are important in nature. We also present evidence that bacteriocin toxins readily move between strains via plasmid transfer and even between plasmids via transposons. Finally, we show that several E. coli bacteriocins are widely shared with the pathogen Salmonella enterica, further cementing the link to virulence. Our work suggests that the bacteriocins of E. coli are important antibacterial weapons for dangerous antimicrobial-resistant strains.

Indexed as

BacteriocinsDrug Resistance, BacterialEscherichia coliAnti-Bacterial AgentsHumansPlasmidsSalmonella entericaVirulenceVirulence FactorsAnti-Bacterial AgentsBacteriocinsVirulence Factors

Identifiers

PMID41125589
PMCPMC12546727

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.