Sedentary chromosomal integrons as biobanks of bacterial antiphage defense systems

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Darracq, Baptiste; Littner, Eloi; Brunie, Manon; Bos, Julia; Kaminski, Pierre Alexandre; Depardieu, Florence; Slesak, Weronika; Debatisse, Kevin; Touchon, Marie; Bernheim, Aude; Bikard, David; Le Roux, Frederique; Mazel, Didier; Rocha, Eduardo P. C.; Loot, Celine
• 署名单位: Pasteur Network; Universite Paris Cite; Institut Pasteur Paris; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); CNRS - National Institute for Biology (INSB); Sorbonne Universite; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); CNRS - National Institute for Biology (INSB); Pasteur Network; Universite Paris Cite; Institut Pasteur Paris; Pasteur Network; Universite Paris Cite; Institut Pasteur Paris; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); CNRS - National Institute for Biology (INSB); Pasteur Network; Universite Paris Cite; Institut Pasteur Paris; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); CNRS - National Institute for Biology (INSB); Universite de Montreal
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-12157
• DOI: 10.1126/science.ads0768
• 发表日期: 2025-05-08
• 关键词: restriction-modification systems; mobile genetic elements; cassette insertion; sequence alignment; identification; site; performance; resistance; interplay; islands

摘要

Integrons are genetic systems that drive bacterial adaptation by acquiring, expressing, and shuffling gene cassettes. While mobile integrons are well known for spreading antibiotic resistance genes, the functions of the hundreds of cassettes carried by sedentary integrons remain largely unexplored. We show that many of these cassettes encode small variants of known antiphage systems that favor their inclusion in the integron. We also demonstrate that nearly 10% of the integron cassettes in the pandemic Vibrio cholerae strain encode novel antiphage functions. Most of these novel systems have little or no similarity to previously known ones, with several providing defense through cell lysis or growth arrest. Our work highlights the stabilization and prevalence of small antiphage systems within integrons, making them an untapped biobank of defense mechanisms.