Bacterial homologs of innate eukaryotic antiviral defenses provide phage protection.

Supplementary data regarding the 'Bacterial homologs of innate eukaryotic antiviral defenses provide phage protection' manuscript.

Abstract:Prokaryotes have evolved a multitude of defense systems to protect themselves from bacteriophage predation. Here, we discovered new phage defense systems related to innate antiviral genes from vertebrates and plants. Our search uncovered over 400 candidates from which eleven were selected and six novel phage defense systems validated. We identified a DNA replication helicase/nuclease 2 (Prometheus) which may act on transcription R-loops, an inositol-monophosphatase-like phage defense protein (Pan), and two ATPases from the NACHT family coupled to novel effectors NucS and SfsA (Nyx and Hypnos). In addition, a fused ubiquitin-like E1-E2-JAB protein combined with a putative MBL nuclease (6A-MBL) was found, and a novel member of the Thoeris family that contains four essential TIR domains with a putative effector SLOG domain (Thoeris type III). Collectively, these defense systems support the concept of deep evolutionary links and shared antiviral mechanisms between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.