TY - JOUR
T1 - Tandem mobilization of anti-phage defenses alongside SCCmec elements in staphylococci
AU - Hossain, Motaher
AU - Aslan, Barbaros
AU - Hatoum-Aslan, Asma
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - Recent research has identified multiple immune systems that bacteria use to protect themselves from viral infections. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which these systems horizontally spread, especially among bacterial pathogens. Here, we investigate antiviral defenses in staphylococci, opportunistic pathogens that constitute leading causes of antibiotic-resistant infections. We show that these organisms harbor a variety of anti-phage defenses encoded within or near SCC (staphylococcal cassette chromosome) mec cassettes, mobile genomic islands that confer methicillin resistance. Importantly, we demonstrate that SCCmec-encoded recombinases mobilize not only SCCmec, but also tandem SCC-like cassettes enriched in genes coding for diverse defense systems. Further, we show that phage infection stimulates cassette mobilization (i.e. excision and circularization). Thus, our findings indicate that SCC/SCCmec cassettes not only spread antibiotic resistance but can also play a role in mobilizing anti-phage defenses.
AB - Recent research has identified multiple immune systems that bacteria use to protect themselves from viral infections. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which these systems horizontally spread, especially among bacterial pathogens. Here, we investigate antiviral defenses in staphylococci, opportunistic pathogens that constitute leading causes of antibiotic-resistant infections. We show that these organisms harbor a variety of anti-phage defenses encoded within or near SCC (staphylococcal cassette chromosome) mec cassettes, mobile genomic islands that confer methicillin resistance. Importantly, we demonstrate that SCCmec-encoded recombinases mobilize not only SCCmec, but also tandem SCC-like cassettes enriched in genes coding for diverse defense systems. Further, we show that phage infection stimulates cassette mobilization (i.e. excision and circularization). Thus, our findings indicate that SCC/SCCmec cassettes not only spread antibiotic resistance but can also play a role in mobilizing anti-phage defenses.
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U2 - 10.1038/s41467-024-53146-z
DO - 10.1038/s41467-024-53146-z
M3 - Article
C2 - 39394251
AN - SCOPUS:85206122950
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 15
JO - Nature communications
JF - Nature communications
IS - 1
M1 - 8820
ER -