| Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. Phages are exceptionally host-specific and
engage in a fierce evolutionary arms race with their host bacteria. This arms race potentially
limits the ability of phages to produce progeny phages due to bacterial adaptations against
phages. The arms race involves many phage proteins associated with various stages of phage
reproduction. The Cyclic oligonucleotide-based anti-phage signaling system (CBASS) is a
bacterial defense against phage infection. Cyclic oligonucleotide sequestering proteins (encoded
by anti-CBASS genes, Acb1 & Acb2) are phage-evolved proteins that inhibit the CBASS
system. However, the role of cyclic oligonucleotide sequestering protein mutations in the
coevolutionary arms race is poorly understood. Building on our knowledge of how cyclic
oligonucleotide sequestering proteins evolve will facilitate discovery of new biotechnologies for
antibacterial applications and provide insights that improve clinical applications of phages.
Keywords: Bacteriophage, Bioinformatics, anti-CBASS |