Dual role of phage terminase in Salmonella enterica oxidative stress response

Abstract

The adaptive survival mechanisms of bacterial pathogens under host-induced stress are crucial for understanding pathogenesis. Recently, Uppalapati et al. revealed a unique dual function of the Gifsy-1 prophage terminase in Salmonella enterica: it acts as a transfer ribonuclease (tRNase) under oxidative stress. The Gifsy-1 prophage terminase targets and fragments tRNA^Leu to halt translation and temporarily impairs bacterial growth when exposed to high levels of ROS generated by the host immune cells. This response not only preserves genomic integrity by facilitating DNA repair but also inhibits prophage mobilization, thereby aiding in bacterial survival within vertebrate hosts. This study highlights a novel intersection between phage biology and bacterial adaptive strategies.

Keywords

Phage / Terminase / Oxidative stress / tRNA / SOS response

Declaration of Competing Interest

Given his role as editorial board member, Dr. Chunyi Hu, had no involvement in the peer-review of this article and has no access to information regarding its peer-review. Full responsibility for the editorial process for this article was delegated to Dr. Qunxin She.

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Senfeng Zhang: Writing - original draft. Shengsheng Ma: Writing - review & editing. Feizuo Wang: Writing - review & editing. Chunyi Hu: Writing - original draft.

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