CARD domains mediate anti-phage defence in bacterial gasdermin systems.

ABSTRACT: Caspase recruitment domains (CARDs) and pyrin domains are important facilitators of inflammasome activity and pyroptosis¹. Following pathogen recognition by nucleotide binding-domain, leucine-rich, repeat-containing (NLR) proteins, CARDs recruit and activate caspases, which, in turn, activate gasdermin pore-forming proteins to induce pyroptotic cell death². Here we show that CARD domains are present in defence systems that protect bacteria against phage. The bacterial CARD domain is essential for protease-mediated activation of certain bacterial gasdermins, which promote cell death once phage infection is recognized. We further show that multiple anti-phage defence systems use CARD domains to activate a variety of cell death effectors, and that CARD domains mediate pr

SUBMITTER: Wein T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12373157 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature