Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42709724›Full record

ArticlePLoS pathogens2026

Transposon insertion sequencing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa identifies multiple intersecting pathways essential for extreme colistin resistance.

Madeleine B Vessely, Ryan P Kich, Samuel W M Gatesy, Hanna K Bertucci, Aliki Valdes, Clara Luczak, Shradha Rao, Artur Muszyński, Parastoo Azadi, Casey N Kellogg and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS pathogens, 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

15 authors.

Madeleine B VesselyDepartment of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Ryan P KichDepartment of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Samuel W M GatesyDepartment of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Hanna K BertucciDepartment of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Aliki ValdesDepartment of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Clara LuczakDepartment of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Shradha RaoDepartment of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Artur MuszyńskiComplex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GeorgiaUnited States of America.
Parastoo AzadiComplex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GeorgiaUnited States of America.
Casey N KelloggDepartment of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Brandon L JutrasDepartment of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
John MekalanosDepartment of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Alan R HauserDepartment of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Egon A OzerDepartment of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Kelly E R BachtaDepartment of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0001-8838-5117

Funding

Technology CoreU19AI135964 · NIAID · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO · PI ALAN R HAUSER · 2018 to 2026
$24.7M
INFECTIOUS DISEASE AND BASIC MICROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMST32AI007061 · NIAID · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI Marcia B Goldberg · 1985 to 2026
$12.1M
TRAINING PROGRAM IN IMMUNOLOGY &MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIST32AI007476 · NIAID · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO · PI Edward Benjamin Thorp · 1996 to 2026
$6.6M
National Glycoscience Resource- CCRC Service and Training - NGlycoR@CCRCR24GM137782 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA · PI Parastoo Azadi · 2020 to 2026
$5.2M
Population Analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa VirulenceR01AI118257 · NIAID · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO · PI HAUSER, ALAN R · 2016 to 2025
$4.9M
NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI118257NIAID NIH HHS T32 AI007061NIAID NIH HHS T32 AI007476NIAID NIH HHS U19 AI135964NIGMS NIH HHS R24 GM137782
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Colistin is used to treat antibiotic resistant gram-negative infections, including those caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa). Using a diverse collection of clinical isolates, we identified BWH047, a colistin-resistant isolate with an extremely high minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC, 1280 µg/mL). To characterize the genes conditionally essential for colistin resistance in BWH047, we employed transposon insertion sequencing and identified 20 gene candidates. In-frame deletion validated 75% of the candidates and identified genes in several new pathways that contribute to colistin resistance in Pa, including algU and wapH. We also identified several candidate genes from previously reported colistin resistance pathways (e.g., arn, pmrAB). We further investigated the impact of a colistin resistance-associated inner membrane DedA-family undecaprenyl phosphate flippase, which we named DpcA (DedA of Pseudomonas necessary for colistin resistance A). Deletion of dpcA in BWH047 restored sensitivity to colistin (MIC = 0.5 µg/mL) and resulted in several unique changes to the structure of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), including production of decreased amounts of the colistin resistance-conferring 4-amino-4-deoxy-L-arabinose (L-Ara4N) modification on lipid A. This work represents a robust analysis of colistin resistance in Pa and identifies intersecting pathways that contribute to extreme phenotypic resistance.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsColistinDNA Transposable ElementsDrug Resistance, BacterialPseudomonas aeruginosaPseudomonas InfectionsBacterial ProteinsHumansMicrobial Sensitivity TestsAnti-Bacterial AgentsBacterial ProteinsColistinDNA Transposable Elements

Identifiers

PMID42709724
PMCPMC13552734

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.