Commentary: Phages gain the upper hand in the metabolic arms race for NAD+

Molecular Cell (2024). PubMed PMID: 39642854.

Abstract

Bacteria often defend against phage infection by deploying NADase effectors to degrade cellular NAD⁺, thereby halting both bacterial growth and phage replication. In a recent article in Nature, Osterman et al.¹ identify phage-encoded counterdefense pathways that reconstitute NAD⁺ during infection, enabling phages to combat multiple unrelated antiphage systems.

Links

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-024-01017-1
• Journal Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1097276524009225

Citation

Bullen NP, Whiteley AT. Phages gain the upper hand in the metabolic arms race for NAD(). Mol Cell. 2024 Dec 5;84(23):4480-4482. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.11.017. PubMed PMID: 39642854.