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Bacterial defence molecules target viral DNA

Bacteria can use specific protein-based strategies to defend individual cells against viruses. Evidence that bacterial small molecules also target viruses provides fresh insights into how bacteria thwart viral infection.
By
  1. Martha R. J. Clokie

    1. Martha R. J. Clokie is in the Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.

To enjoy beautiful environments, we might need to defend ourselves against the resident pests, from midge flies on Scottish hillsides to mosquitoes in tropical jungles. If pests are numerous and diverse, a broad-spectrum defence strategy, such as spraying an insect repellent, can be best. Bacteria can also use general defences to combat their viral predators, in addition to having a plethora of more-specific defences that target particular viruses. Writing in Nature, Kronheim et al.1 report their analysis of an antiviral defence system that can protect more than one bacterial species. These findings could have major implications for our understanding of how bacteria and viruses interact.

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Nature 564, 199-200 (2018)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-07576-7

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