Tandem mobilization of anti-phage defenses alongside SCCmec cassettes.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial viruses (phages) and the immune systems targeted against them significantly impact bacterial survival, evolution, and the emergence of pathogenic strains. While recent research has made spectacular strides towards discovering and validating new defenses in a few model organisms^1-3, the inventory of immune systems in clinically-relevant bacteria remains underexplored, and little is known about the mechanisms by which these systems horizontally spread. Such pathways not only impact the evolutionary trajectory of bacterial pathogens, but also threaten to undermine the effectiveness of phage-based therapeutics. Here, we investigate the battery of defenses in staphylococci, opportunistic pathogens that constitute leading causes of antibiotic-resistant infections. We show th

SUBMITTER: Hossain M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10055296 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature