Bacteriophage deploys a RecA-dependent nuclease to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus replication and promote phage propagation.

ABSTRACT: Bacteriophages have evolved diverse strategies to manipulate host processes, yet the molecular mechanisms employed by phage-encoded effector proteins remain poorly understood. Here, we identify Gp16, an early-expressed protein from Staphylococcus aureus phage ΦNM1, as a RecA-dependent nuclease that plays a dual role in host inhibition and phage propagation. Gp16 is rapidly expressed upon infection, and its overexpression alone is sufficient to inhibit bacterial growth where deletion of gp16 severely impairs phage DNA replication, progeny production, and host cell lysis, underscoring its essential role in the phage life cycle. Structural modeling predicts Gp16 is a nuclease, and its overexpression induces DNA condensation in vivo. Biochemical and cellular analyses show that Gp16 interacts w

SUBMITTER: Xu Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12817073 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature