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Bacteria conjugate ubiquitin-like proteins to interfere with phage assembly

ABSTRACT: Multiple immune pathways in humans conjugate ubiquitin-like proteins to virus and host molecules as a means of antiviral defense. Here we studied an anti-phage defense system in bacteria, comprising a ubiquitin-like protein, ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes E1 and E2, and a deubiquitinase. We show that during phage infection, this system specifically conjugates the ubiquitin-like protein to the phage central tail fiber, a protein at the tip of the tail that is essential for tail assembly as well as for recognition of the target host receptor. Following infection, cells encoding this defense system release a mixture of partially assembled, tailless phage particles, and fully assembled phages in which the central tail fiber is obstructed by the covalently attached ubiquitin-like protein. These phages exhibit severely impaired infectivity, explaining how the defense system protects the bacterial population from the spread of phage infection. Our findings demonstrate that conjugation of ubiquitin-like proteins is an antiviral strategy conserved across the tree of life.

ORGANISM(S): Caulobacter sp. Root343 Escherichia coli

PROVIDER: GSE262579 | GEO | 2024/05/08

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Cyanobacteria are highly abundant in the oceans where they are constantly exposed to lytic viruses. Some viruses are restricted to a narrow host range while others infect a broad range of hosts. It is currently unknown whether broad-host range phages employ the same infection program, or regulate their program in a host-specific manner to accommodate for the different genetic makeup and defense systems of each host. Here we used a combination of microarray and RNA-seq analyses to investigate the interaction of three phylogentically distinct Synechococcus strains, WH7803, WH8102, and WH8109, with the broad-host range T4-like myovirus, Syn9, during infection. Strikingly, we found that the phage led a nearly identical expression program in the three hosts despite considerable differences in host gene content. On the other hand, host responses to infection involved mainly host-specific genes, suggesting variable attempts at defense against infection. A large number of responsive host genes were located in hypervariable genomic islands, substantiating genomic islands as a major axis of phage-bacteria interactions in cyanobacteria. Furthermore, transcriptome analyses and experimental determination of the complete phage promoter map revealed three temporally regulated modules and not two as previously thought for cyanophages. In contrast to T4, an extensive, previously unknown regulatory motif drives expression of early genes and host-like promoters drive middle-gene expression. These promoters are highly conserved among cyanophages and host-like middle promoters extend to other T4-like phages, indicating that the well-known mode of regulation in T4 is not the rule among the broad family of T4-like phages. We investigated the infection process and transcriptional program of the P-TIM40 cyanophage during infection of a Prochlorococcus NATL2A host. The results are discussed in conjunction with results obtained from the infection process for the Syn9 cyanophage in three different Synechococcus hosts: WH7803 (Dufresne et al. 2008), WH8102 (Palenik et al. 2003) and WH8109 (sequenced as part of this study).

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Bacteria conjugate ubiquitin-like proteins to interfere with phage assembly

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