Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41968157›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

A phage-encoded sponge protein suppresses bacterial TIR-Caspase immune signaling.

Yu Chen, Linlin Wei, Zhenhao Han, Ruiliang Zhao, Zhifeng Zeng, Yanqiu Liu, Piaoran Zhang, Keyi Tan, Yue Fan, Long Sheng and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 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. Phage RyR-domain proteins degrade ADPR-based immune signals and fuel NADbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    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

14 authors.

Yu Chen *National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Linlin Wei *State Key Laboratory of Green Biomanufacturing, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.
Zhenhao Han *National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Ruiliang ZhaoSection of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0323-8132
Zhifeng ZengNational Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Yanqiu LiuNational Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Piaoran ZhangNational Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Keyi TanNational Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Yue FanState Key Laboratory of Green Biomanufacturing, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.
Long ShengNational Research and Development Centre for Egg Processing, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Hao WangDepartment of Gastroenterology, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8176-9334
Rafael Pinilla-RedondoSection of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3521-460X
Yue FengState Key Laboratory of Green Biomanufacturing, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China. fengyue@mail.buct.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1576-1385
Wenyuan HanNational Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China. hanwenyuan@mail.hzau.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9636-6415

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 32171274National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 32270099Villum Fonden (Villum Foundation) VIL60763
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Triggering immune response through generation of signal molecules is a common immune strategy across all domains of life. In the bacterial type IV Thoeris anti-phage system, a Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR)-domain protein produces adenosine 5'-diphosphate-cyclo[N7:1"]-ribose (N7-cADPR) as the immune signal to activate a Caspase-like effector. Here, we identified an inhibitor of type IV Thoeris through a phage mating assay that allows a sensitive phage to acquire anti-defense genes from related resistant phages. The inhibitor (hereafter TadIV-1) functions as a sponge that sequesters the N7-cADPR signal to inhibit Caspase activation. Structural analyses of TadIV-1 indicate a distinctive signal binding mechanism, wherein the binding pocket comprises its N-terminal flexible loop. In addition, phages lacking TadIV-1 can escape type IV Thoeris sensing through mutation in the capsid vertex protein. Collectively, this work expands the phage anti-defense arsenal with a unique immune signal sequestration mechanism and provides insights into phage invasion recognition mechanism of type IV Thoeris.

Indexed as

Bacterial ProteinsBacteriophagesCaspasesReceptors, Interleukin-1Viral ProteinsSignal TransductionBacterial ProteinsCaspasesReceptors, Interleukin-1Viral Proteins

Identifiers

PMID41968157
PMCPMC13243611

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.