Skip to main content
bioRxiv
  • Home
  • About
  • Submit
  • ALERTS / RSS
Advanced Search
New Results

Bacterial retrons function in anti-phage defense

Adi Millman, View ORCID ProfileAude Bernheim, Avigail Stokar-Avihail, Taya Fedorenko, Maya Voichek, Azita Leavitt, Rotem Sorek
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.21.156273
Adi Millman
1Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Aude Bernheim
1Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Aude Bernheim
Avigail Stokar-Avihail
1Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Taya Fedorenko
1Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Maya Voichek
1Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
2Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Dr. Bohrgasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Azita Leavitt
1Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Rotem Sorek
1Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: rotem.sorek@weizmann.ac.il
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Info/History
  • Metrics
  • Supplementary material
  • Preview PDF
Loading

Abstract

Retrons are bacterial genetic elements comprised of a reverse transcriptase (RT) and a non-coding RNA. The RT uses the non-coding RNA as a template, generating a chimeric RNA/DNA molecule in which the RNA and DNA components are covalently linked. Although retrons were discovered three decades ago, their function remained unknown. In this study we report that retrons function as anti-phage defense systems. The defensive unit is composed of three components: the RT, the non-coding RNA, and an effector protein. Retron-containing systems are abundant in genomic “defense islands”, suggesting a role for most retrons in phage resistance. By cloning multiple retron systems into a retron-less Escherichia coli strain, we show that these systems confer defense against a broad range of phages, with different retrons defending against different phages. Focusing on a single retron, Ec48, we show evidence that it is a “guardian” of RecBCD, a complex with central anti-phage functions in the bacterial cell. Inhibition of RecBCD by dedicated phage proteins activates the retron, leading to abortive infection and cell death. Thus, the Ec48 retron forms a second line of defense that is triggered if the first lines of defense have collapsed. Our results expose a new family of anti-phage defense systems abundant in bacteria.

Competing Interest Statement

R.S. is a scientific cofounder and advisor of BiomX, Pantheon Bioscience and Ecophage.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
Back to top
PreviousNext
Posted June 22, 2020.
Download PDF

Supplementary Material

Email

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv.

NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Bacterial retrons function in anti-phage defense
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
Bacterial retrons function in anti-phage defense
Adi Millman, Aude Bernheim, Avigail Stokar-Avihail, Taya Fedorenko, Maya Voichek, Azita Leavitt, Rotem Sorek
bioRxiv 2020.06.21.156273; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.21.156273
Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo LinkedIn logo Mendeley logo
Citation Tools
Bacterial retrons function in anti-phage defense
Adi Millman, Aude Bernheim, Avigail Stokar-Avihail, Taya Fedorenko, Maya Voichek, Azita Leavitt, Rotem Sorek
bioRxiv 2020.06.21.156273; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.21.156273

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Subject Area

  • Microbiology
Subject Areas
All Articles
  • Animal Behavior and Cognition (4383)
  • Biochemistry (9599)
  • Bioengineering (7094)
  • Bioinformatics (24865)
  • Biophysics (12615)
  • Cancer Biology (9958)
  • Cell Biology (14354)
  • Clinical Trials (138)
  • Developmental Biology (7950)
  • Ecology (12107)
  • Epidemiology (2067)
  • Evolutionary Biology (15989)
  • Genetics (10926)
  • Genomics (14743)
  • Immunology (9870)
  • Microbiology (23676)
  • Molecular Biology (9485)
  • Neuroscience (50872)
  • Paleontology (369)
  • Pathology (1539)
  • Pharmacology and Toxicology (2683)
  • Physiology (4016)
  • Plant Biology (8657)
  • Scientific Communication and Education (1509)
  • Synthetic Biology (2397)
  • Systems Biology (6436)
  • Zoology (1346)