Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40659683›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

The defensome of prokaryotes in aquifers.

Pengwei Li, Zongzhi Wu, Tang Liu, Chunfang Deng, Quan Liu, Jinren Ni

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Microbial ecology of shallow groundwater ecosystems.Nature reviews. Microbiology · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. The defensome of prokaryotes in aquifers.Nature communications · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Pengwei LiEnvironmental Microbiome and Innovative Genomics Laboratory, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, P. R. China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0032-9749
Zongzhi WuEnvironmental Microbiome and Innovative Genomics Laboratory, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, P. R. China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5153-5246
Tang LiuEnvironmental Microbiome Engineering and Innovative Genomics Laboratory, College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China.
Chunfang DengEco-environment and Resource Efficiency Research Laboratory, School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, P. R. China.
Quan LiuPeking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Modulation Research, Peking-Tsinghua-NIBS Graduate Program, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, P. R. China.
Jinren NiEnvironmental Microbiome and Innovative Genomics Laboratory, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, P. R. China. jinrenni@pku.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9114-8347

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 51721006National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) U2240205
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Groundwater harbors a pristine biosphere where microbes co-evolve with less human interference, yet the ancient and ongoing arms race between prokaryotes and viruses remains largely unknown in such ecosystems. Based on our recent nationwide groundwater monitoring campaign across China, we construct a metagenomic groundwater prokaryotic defensome catalogue (GPDC), encompassing 190,810 defense genes, 90,824 defense systems, 139 defense families, and 669 defense islands from 141 prokaryotic phyla. Over 94% of the defense genes in GPDC are novel and contribute vast microbial immune resources in groundwater. We find that candidate phyla radiation (CPR) bacteria possess higher defense system density and diversity against intense phage infection, while microbes as a whole exhibit an inverse relationship between defense systems and adaptive traits like resistance genes in groundwater. We further identify five first-line defense families covering 69.2% of the total defense systems, and high-turnover accessory immune genes are mostly conveyed to defense islands by mobile genetic elements. Our study also reveals viral resistance to microbial defense through co-localized anti-defense genes and interactions between CRISPR-Cas9 and anti-CRISPR protein. These findings expand our understanding of microbial immunity in pristine ecosystems and offer valuable immune resources for potential biotechnological applications.

Indexed as

BacteriaGroundwaterProkaryotic CellsBacteriophagesChinaCRISPR-Cas SystemsEcosystemMetagenomeMetagenomicsPhylogeny

Identifiers

PMID40659683
PMCPMC12259885

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.