A bacterial immunity protein directly senses two disparate phage proteins
POD
A new study in Nature reveals that a bacterial immunity protein, CapRel546, can directly sense two completely unrelated phage proteins using the same sensory domain. This discovery challenges the traditional one-to-one relationship between bacterial pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and their phage-encoded triggers. This Paper of the day demonstrates that CapRel546 can bind to both Bas11 phage proteins, suggesting that bacteria may have evolved a more versatile immune system to combat a wider range of phage threats. This finding has significant implications for understanding the complex coevolutionary arms race between bacteria and their viral predators.