Viral sponges sequester nucleotide signals to inactivate immunity

Desmond Richmond-Buccola; Philip J Kranzusch

doi:10.1016/j.tim.2023.04.004

Viral sponges sequester nucleotide signals to inactivate immunity

Trends Microbiol. 2023 Jun;31(6):552-553. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.04.004. Epub 2023 Apr 24.

Authors

Desmond Richmond-Buccola¹, Philip J Kranzusch²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
² Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: philip_kranzusch@dfci.harvard.edu.

PMID: 37100632
DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.04.004

Abstract

Bacteria synthesize specialized nucleotide signals to control anti-phage defense. Two papers - by Huiting et al. and Jenson et al. - now reveal that bacteriophages encode protein 'sponges' that sequester cyclic oligonucleotide immune signals and inactivate host antiviral immunity.

Keywords: CBASS; CD-NTase; anti-phage defense; cGAS; nucleotide second messenger.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Bacteria / metabolism
Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
Bacteriophages* / genetics
Bacteriophages* / metabolism
Nucleotides*
Nucleotidyltransferases / metabolism

Substances

Nucleotides
Nucleotidyltransferases
Bacterial Proteins

Grants and funding

DP2 GM146250/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States