A bacterial host factor confines phage localization for excluding the infected compartment through cell division
Summary: Viruses frequently induce the formation of specialized subcellular compartments to facilitate their replication and assembly. Here, we describe a “host-derived” confinement mechanism, compartmentalizing bacteriophage (phage) production to enable phage caging through cell division. By employ...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Cell Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221112472500765X |
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| Summary: | Summary: Viruses frequently induce the formation of specialized subcellular compartments to facilitate their replication and assembly. Here, we describe a “host-derived” confinement mechanism, compartmentalizing bacteriophage (phage) production to enable phage caging through cell division. By employing the bacterium Bacillus subtilis and its lytic phages, we identified YjbH, highly conserved among gram-positive bacteria, as a host factor that limits plaque expansion. YjbH directly binds the penetrating phage genome via its helix-turn-helix DNA-binding domain and accumulates into a focus at the site of DNA injection. YjbH further constricts the synthesis of phage components, including DNA and capsid proteins, to a specific subcellular locale. Consequently, the division machinery is recruited to produce adjacent septations, often asymmetric, effectively trapping and excluding the infected compartment. This “exclude and survive” defense mechanism may represent a prevalent strategy employed by the host to contain viral spread. |
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| ISSN: | 2211-1247 |