Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41961593›Full record

ArticleCell reports2026

The phage nucleus synergizes with an anti-defense protein to resist bacterial immunity.

Chase J Morgan, Phoolwanti Rani, Amar Deep, Rui Liu, Dwaipayan Basu, Lydia R Chambers, Ying-Xing Li, Makaela Levine, Kendall Hsieh, Benjamin A Adler and 5 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cell reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

15 authors.

Chase J MorganDepartment of Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Phoolwanti RaniDepartment of Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Amar DeepDepartment of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Rui LiuDepartment of Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Dwaipayan BasuDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Lydia R ChambersDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Ying-Xing LiDepartment of Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Makaela LevineHoward Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Kendall HsiehCalifornia Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Benjamin A AdlerCalifornia Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Erica BirkholzDepartment of Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Jennifer A DoudnaCalifornia Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; MBIB Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
Elizabeth VillaDepartment of Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Kevin D CorbettDepartment of Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. Electronic address: kcorbett@ucsd.edu.
Joe PoglianoDepartment of Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. Electronic address: jpogliano@ucsd.edu.

Funding

Molecular and cellular biology of the phage nucleus and spindleR01GM129245 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI POGLIANO, JOSEPH A · 2018 to 2025
$4.2M
Molecular mechanisms of nucleic acid recognition and maintenance in meiosis and innate immunityR35GM144121 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI Kevin Daniel Corbett · 2022 to 2026
$2.7M
Investigating the mechanism of infection and therapeutic potential of Pseudomonas nucleus-forming phagesF30AI176696 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI Chase Morgan · 2024 to 2026
$128k
Mechanisms of gene regulation in bacterial defense islandsF31AI194603 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI Lydia Rose Chambers · 2025 to 2026
$93k
NIAID NIH HHS F30 AI176696NIAID NIH HHS F31 AI194603NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM129245NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM144121
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Chimallivirus bacteriophages enclose their replicating genomes in a protein-based compartment termed the phage nucleus. While the phage nucleus segregates phage DNA from host immune proteins, it is not known if additional factors are required to protect against DNA-targeting host defenses. Here, we identify a chimallivirus-encoded DarG2-like antitoxin that localizes to the phage nucleus and provides protection against phage-targeting DarTG2 toxin-antitoxin systems. This protein, which we term AdfM (anti-darT factor macro), contains a macrodomain and removes DarT2-mediated ADP-ribose modifications from DNA. In the absence of AdfM, DarT2 modifies phage DNA and restricts chimallivirus replication despite being largely excluded from the phage nucleus. Increasing the nuclear concentration of DarT2 while decreasing the nuclear concentration of AdfM reduces phage replication. These results show that the phage nucleus is insufficient to completely protect the chimallivirus genome from host defenses; rather, it is one component of a multilayered counter-defense strategy.

Indexed as

CP: microbiologyCRISPRDarTjumbo phagephage defense systemphage nucleusPhiKZ

Identifiers

PMID41961593
PMCPMC13309987

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.