Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41652145›Full record

ArticleCommunications biology2026

A small molecule allosterically activates SecA dependent secretion.

Haitham Sedky, Mohamed Belal Hamed, Srinath Krishnamurthy, Patrick Chaltin, Arnaud Marchand, Vincent Pericolle, Matthias Versele, Spyridoula Karamanou, Anastassios Economou

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Communications biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. 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

9 authors.

Haitham SedkyKU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Molecular Bacteriology, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1636-1834
Mohamed Belal HamedKU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Molecular Bacteriology, Leuven, Belgium.
Srinath KrishnamurthyKU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Molecular Bacteriology, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5492-4450
Patrick ChaltinCistim Leuven vzw, Bioincubator 2, Leuven, Belgium.
Arnaud MarchandCistim Leuven vzw, Bioincubator 2, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0007-382X
Vincent PericolleCistim Leuven vzw, Bioincubator 2, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-4539-6349
Matthias VerseleCistim Leuven vzw, Bioincubator 2, Leuven, Belgium.
Spyridoula KaramanouKU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Molecular Bacteriology, Leuven, Belgium. lily.karamanou@kuleuven.be.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8803-1404
Anastassios EconomouKU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Molecular Bacteriology, Leuven, Belgium.

Funding

Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Research Foundation Flanders) 30550343/GOG0818NFonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Research Foundation Flanders) G009423NFonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Research Foundation Flanders) G093519NFonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Research Foundation Flanders) W002421NKatholieke Universiteit Leuven | Universitaire Ziekenhuizen Leuven, KU Leuven (University Hospital Leuven, KU Leuven) RUN/16/001Katholieke Universiteit Leuven | Universitaire Ziekenhuizen Leuven, KU Leuven (University Hospital Leuven, KU Leuven) ZKD4582-C16/18/008
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The Sec pathway is an essential protein secretion route for all organisms. In bacteria, the SecA ATPase peripherally associates with the SecYEG channel to form the translocase that mediates preprotein export. Activation of the translocase depends strictly on the synergy of signal peptide and mature domain binding. Thus, client selectivity, translocase activation and protein secretion are coupled by one mechanism. We show here that a previously identified small molecule (HSI#6) binds SecA, modulates its intrinsic dynamics and allosterically activates the translocase in the absence of clients. By uncoupling translocase activation from preprotein binding, HSI#6 transformed the translocase into a promiscuous nanomachine that lost client selectivity and secreted unfolded pre- mature- and cytoplasmic- proteins with high efficiency in vivo or in vitro. To our knowledge, HSI#6 is the first activator of the Sec pathway and might offer unique opportunities for the discovery of new antibacterials.

Indexed as

Escherichia coliEscherichia coli ProteinsSecA ProteinsSEC Translocation ChannelsAllosteric RegulationProtein BindingProtein TransportEscherichia coli ProteinsSecA ProteinsSEC Translocation Channels

Identifiers

PMID41652145
PMCPMC12988166

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.