Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41266360›Full record

ArticleNPJ biofilms and microbiomes2025

Chemical inhibition of MrkH-dependent activation of type 3 fimbriae synthesis and biofilm formation by Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Jonathan J Wilksch, Jason W H Tan, Tracy L Nero, Dianna M Hocking, Vicki Bennett-Wood, Nancy Wang, Stefanie-Ann Zavras, Carl H Schiesser, Marija Tauschek, Mark A Schembri and 6 more

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. Plasmid encodedBiofilm · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. 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

16 authors.

Jonathan J Wilksch *Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Jason W H Tan *Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Tracy L Nero *Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Dianna M HockingDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Vicki Bennett-WoodDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Nancy WangDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Stefanie-Ann ZavrasARC Centre of Excellence for Free Radical Chemistry and Biotechnology and the School of Chemistry and Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Carl H SchiesserARC Centre of Excellence for Free Radical Chemistry and Biotechnology and the School of Chemistry and Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Marija TauschekDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Mark A SchembriInstitute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Trevor LithgowInfection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute & Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
Elizabeth L HartlandDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Roy M Robins-BrowneDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Michael W ParkerDepartment of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Ji YangDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Richard A StrugnellDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Parkville, VIC, Australia. rastru@unimelb.edu.au.

Funding

Australian Research Council DP130100957Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Ruth Bishop FellowNational Health and Medical Research Council 606788National Health and Medical Research Council APP1194263
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Biofilm formation by Klebsiella pneumoniae is mediated by the type 3 fimbriae Mrk, and regulated by MrkH and 3',5'-cyclic diguanylic acid (c-di-GMP). We sought to identify specific chemical inhibitors of K. pneumoniae biofilm formation that reduced the activity of MrkH. A compound N-(3-cyano-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-4H-cyclohepta[b]thien-2-yl)-2-methoxybenzamide, JT71, reduced K. pneumoniae mrkA promoter activity and biofilm formation by 50% without affecting cell viability. Western blot analysis, hemagglutination assays, electron microscopy and qPCR showed that JT71 reduced type 3 fimbriae production, and transcription of mrkA and mrkH. JT71 demonstrated activity against other clinical and multi-drug resistant K. pneumoniae isolates, and a type 3 fimbriate-positive Citrobacter koseri strain. In silico molecule docking was used to illustrate that JT71 could bind directly to the MrkH protein and block its activity. JT71 possesses promising drug-likeness properties and is non-toxic to mammalian cells. Chemical inhibition of transcriptional regulators that control fimbriae expression can inhibit bacterial biofilm formation.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsBacterial ProteinsBenzamidesBiofilmsFimbriae, BacterialFimbriae ProteinsKlebsiella pneumoniaeGene Expression Regulation, BacterialHumansKlebsiella InfectionsMolecular Docking SimulationPromoter Regions, GeneticAnti-Bacterial AgentsBacterial ProteinsBenzamidesFimbriae Proteins

Identifiers

PMID41266360
PMCPMC12635112

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.