A viral 'loose cannon' enzyme helps phages shut down bacterial defenses
As antimicrobial resistance grows around the world, novel therapies to counter it become increasingly important. Phages—viruses that infect bacteria—are an exciting avenue of research in this regard, providing a means to selectively kill pathogenic bacteria, even those resistant to traditional antibiotics.
Phages—viruses that infect bacteria—are being explored as potential treatments for antimicrobial resistance. EMBL scientists and collaborators discovered that a unique enzyme produced by certain phages can disrupt bacterial defense mechanisms. During phage infection, this enzyme enables an uncontrolled phosphorylation of most bacterial proteins, effectively shutting down various defense systems.
This phenomenon was observed in E. coli, a common intestinal bacterium, when infected by the T7 phage. The enzyme, dubbed a "loose cannon" due to its indiscriminate phosphorylation, initially puzzled researchers as it seemed to have no direct benefit to the phage. However, further investigation revealed that the kinase targets DNA-binding bacterial proteins, which are crucial for the defense systems against phages.
The phosphorylation of these proteins likely inactivates them, providing the phage with an advantage during infection. This discovery sheds light on a previously unknown aspect of the dynamic relationship between phages and bacteria, offering potential new avenues for phage-based therapies in the face of growing antimicrobial resistance.
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