A phage-encoded sponge protein suppresses bacterial TIR-Caspase immune signaling - PubMed
5 hours ago
- #bacterial defense
- #phage immunity
- #signal sequestration
- A phage-encoded protein called TadIV-1 inhibits bacterial Thoeris immune signaling by sponging the N7-cADPR signal molecule.
- TadIV-1 uses a flexible N-terminal loop for signal binding, revealing a unique mechanism of immune suppression.
- Phages without TadIV-1 can still evade detection through mutations in the capsid vertex protein, indicating alternative escape strategies.
- The study highlights the diversity of phage anti-defense mechanisms and provides insight into bacterial immunity recognition.