A widespread family of WYL-domain transcriptional regulators co-localises with diverse phage defence systems and islands

Picton, David ORCID: 0000-0002-8456-0237, Harling-Lee, Joshua, Duffner, Samuel, Went, Sam, Morgan, Richard, Hinton, Jay ORCID: 0000-0003-2671-6026 and Blower, Tim ORCID: 0000-0002-7390-6458 (2021) A widespread family of WYL-domain transcriptional regulators co-localises with diverse phage defence systems and islands. [Preprint]

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.19.473342

Abstract

<h4>A bstract </h4> Bacteria are under constant assault by bacteriophages and other mobile genetic elements. As a result, bacteria have evolved a multitude of systems that protect from attack. Genes encoding bacterial defence mechanisms can be clustered into “defence islands”, providing a potentially synergistic level of protection against a wider range of assailants. However, there is a comparative paucity of information on how expression of these defence systems is controlled. Here, we functionally characterise a transcriptional regulator, BrxR, encoded within a recently described phage defence island from a multidrug resistant plasmid of the emerging pathogen Escherichia fergusonii . Using a combination of reporters and electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we discovered that BrxR acts as a repressor. We present the structure of BrxR to 2.15 Å, the first structure of this family of transcription factors, and pinpoint a likely binding site for ligands within the WYL-domain. Bioinformatic analyses demonstrated that BrxR homologues are widespread amongst bacteria. About half (48%) of identified BrxR homologues were co-localised with a diverse array of known phage defence systems, either alone or clustered into defence islands. BrxR is a novel regulator that reveals a common mechanism for controlling the expression of the bacterial phage defence arsenal.

Item Type:	Preprint
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Genetics, Biotechnology, 1 Underpinning research, 1.1 Normal biological development and functioning, Infection
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	31 Jan 2022 16:50
Last Modified:	15 Mar 2024 02:50
DOI:	10.1101/2021.12.19.473342
Open Access URL:	https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.19...
Related URLs:	Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3147893