Virus deploys a ‘loose cannon’ enzyme to overpower bacterial defences

Virus deploys a ‘loose cannon’ enzyme to overpower bacterial defences

Viruses that infect bacteria must either evade or counter the defence systems of their host. The viral kinase enzyme T7K has been found to phosphorylate nearly all bacterial proteins, but its specificity for DNA-binding proteins enables it to disable defence systems that target nucleic acids. A viral enzyme modifies all the proteins of its bacterial host that target DNA to inactivate the host’s immunity.

A viral 'loose cannon' enzyme helps phages shut down bacterial defences

Summary Phages are viruses that attack bacteria, and the two exist in a perpetual evolutionary arms race. New research from EMBL sheds light on a creative strategy that one such phage – T7 – deploys to overcome bacterial defence pathways. The strategy relies on T7 kinase, a viral enzyme that modifies bacterial proteins and specifically targets DNA-binding proteins that form a core part of bacterial immune mechanisms. The study provides novel ins…