An intron endonuclease facilitates interference competition between coinfecting viruses

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Birkholz, Erica A.; Morgan, Chase J.; Laughlin, Thomas G.; Lau, Rebecca K.; Prichard, Amy; Rangarajan, Sahana; Meza, Gabrielle N.; Lee, Jina; Armbruster, Emily; Suslov, Sergey; Pogliano, Kit; Meyer, Justin R.; Villa, Elizabeth; Corbett, Kevin D.; Pogliano, Joe
• 署名单位: University of California System; University of California San Diego; University of California System; University of California San Diego; University of California System; University of California San Diego; Howard Hughes Medical Institute; University of California System; University of California San Diego
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-11198
• DOI: 10.1126/science.adl1356
• 发表日期: 2024-07-05
• 页码: 105-112
• 关键词: group-i intron; nucleus-like structure; bacteriophage-phi-kz; cryo-em; homing endonucleases; selective advantage; dna; phage; gene; exclusion

摘要

Introns containing homing endonucleases are widespread in nature and have long been assumed to be selfish elements that provide no benefit to the host organism. These genetic elements are common in viruses, but whether they confer a selective advantage is unclear. In this work, we studied intron-encoded homing endonuclease gp210 in bacteriophage Phi PA3 and found that it contributes to viral competition by interfering with the replication of a coinfecting phage, Phi KZ. We show that gp210 targets a specific sequence in Phi KZ, which prevents the assembly of progeny viruses. This work demonstrates how a homing endonuclease can be deployed in interference competition among viruses and provide a relative fitness advantage. Given the ubiquity of homing endonucleases, this selective advantage likely has widespread evolutionary implications in diverse plasmid and viral competition as well as virus-host interactions.