Speaker
Description
Bacteria employ a variety of strategies to defend themselves against bacteriophage infections. Bypassing these strategies is crucial for determining the fate of the bacteriophage replication and efficiency in therapeutic setups. Through co-fractionation in gradients, we identified the ΦKZ-encoded factor ΦKZ014 as a novel interaction partner with the protein production machinery [1]. This factor is unique in that it binds to the 5S rRNA of the large ribosomal subunit, and it is one of the earliest phage proteins expressed upon infection. In a clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolate, ΦKZ014 is essential for phage replication. The relationship between translation and host takeover remains largely unexplored in general. We hypothesise that the role of ΦKZ014 in the host's translation machinery may be connected to the circumvention of bacterial defence or stress response and surveillance mechanisms. Elucidating the relevant host factors and determining how they are affected by ΦKZ014 is essential to understanding its broader role in orchestrating host takeover.
Reference #1
- Gerovac, M. et al. Phage proteins target and co-opt host ribosomes immediately upon infection. Nat.A Microbiol. 9, 787–800 (2024).
