Protein-primed DNA homopolymer synthesis by an antiviral reverse transcriptase.

ABSTRACT: Bacteria defend themselves from viral predation using diverse immune systems, many of which sense and target foreign DNA for degradation¹. Defense-associated reverse transcriptase (DRT) systems provide an intriguing counterpoint to this strategy by leveraging DNA synthesis instead^2,3. We and others recently showed that DRT2 systems use an RNA template to assemble a de novo gene, leading to expression of an antiviral effector protein, Neo^4,5. It remains unknown whether similar mechanisms of defense are employed by other DRT families. Focusing on DRT9, here we uncover an unprecedented mechanism of DNA homopolymer synthesis, in which viral infection triggers polydeoxyadenylate (poly-dA) accumulation in the cell to drive abortive infection and population

SUBMITTER: Tang S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11974808 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature