Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41896601›Full record

ArticleNature microbiology2026

Bacteria covalently incorporate polyfluoroalkyl carboxylates into membrane lipids.

Yongchao Xie, Gao Chen, Matthew J Keller, Broquell M Wong, Diana Ramirez, Cynthia M Swift, Dana L Carper, Paul E Abraham, Andrew J Stai, Robert L Hettich and 7 more

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature microbiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

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

17 authors.

Yongchao XieDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA. yongchaoxie@nju.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5112-0553
Gao ChenDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8767-3130
Matthew J KellerBiosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-2155-5076
Broquell M WongDepartment of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
Diana RamirezDepartment of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
Cynthia M SwiftDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8878-2419
Dana L CarperBiosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.
Paul E AbrahamBiosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2685-9123
Andrew J StaiBiosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-8437-2228
Robert L HettichBiosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7708-786X
Amanda L MayCenter for Environmental Biotechnology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
Shawn R CampagnaDepartment of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
Jessica A LaFondBiosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-1725-018X
Jennifer L GuelfoDepartment of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4461-228X
Anita ThapaliaExxonMobil Environmental and Property Solutions Company, Spring, TX, USA.
Trent A KeyExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences Inc., Spring, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6184-2864
Frank E LöfflerDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA. frank.loeffler@utk.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9797-4279

Funding

National Science Foundation (NSF) DGE 2140745United States Department of Defense | Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) Project ER23-3601
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), also known as forever chemicals, are global contaminants, but understanding of microbiota-PFAS interactions is limited. Here we show that bacteria covalently incorporate n:3 fluorotelomer carboxylates (FTCAs) into phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol, two prominent components of bacterial lipid bilayers. Lipidomics of the soil bacterium Pseudomonas sp. strain 273 grown in the presence of 7:3 FTCA or 8:3 FTCA estimated that 7-12% of the bacterium's glycerophospholipid pool contains the respective polyfluoroacyl chains. This covalent incorporation was observed in five other axenic bacterial cultures tested, including other Pseudomonas species, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis, albeit with lower incorporation percentages. Incorporation occurred over a broad concentration range, and n:3 FTCAs with varying chain length were covalently incorporated into membranes. Biotransformation of polyfluoroalkyl substances (also known as precursors) results in n:3 FTCA intermediates, which bacteria can covalently incorporate into their glycerophospholipid pools. We conclude that bacteria can form fluoromembranes when exposed to precursors and are a potential PFAS sink.

Indexed as

Carboxylic AcidsFluorocarbonsMembrane LipidsPseudomonasBiotransformationEnterococcus faecalisEscherichia coliLipidomicsPhosphatidylethanolaminesPhosphatidylglycerolsCarboxylic AcidsFluorocarbonsMembrane LipidsphosphatidylethanolaminePhosphatidylethanolaminesPhosphatidylglycerols

Identifiers

PMID41896601

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.