Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41219509›Full record

ArticleNature microbiology2025

A phage-encoded anti-CRISPR protein co-opts host enolase to prevent type III CRISPR immunity.

Katie A Johnson, Hemant N Goswami, Ryan J Catchpole, Fozieh Ahmadizadeh, Peng Zhao, Lance Wells, Hong Li, Michael P Terns

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature microbiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Katie A Johnson *University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
Hemant N Goswami *Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
Ryan J CatchpoleUniversity of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6641-647X
Fozieh AhmadizadehFlorida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
Peng ZhaoUniversity of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9296-5293
Lance WellsUniversity of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
Hong LiVan Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA. hong.li@vai.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2046-9861
Michael P TernsUniversity of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA. mterns@uga.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8330-1789

Funding

CRISPR Capture, Destroy, and Counter-Attack MechanismsR35GM118160 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA · PI TERNS, MICHAEL P · 2016 to 2025
$5.8M
Mechanisms and Applications of RNA-mediated Enzymes in Translation and ImmunityR35GM152081 · NIGMS · VAN ANDEL RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI Hong Li · 2024 to 2026
$1.8M
Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, Inc.) GR000347Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, Inc.) R35GM118160National Science Foundation (NSF) 2400220NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM118160NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM152081
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) systems provide powerful adaptive immunity against phage infection. In response, phages use anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins to evade CRISPR immunity. The few type III Acrs identified so far show conditional effectiveness in countering type III immunity or rely on unknown or poorly understood inhibitory mechanisms. Here we report the discovery of AcrIIIA2, a type III-A Acr encoded by Streptococcus thermophilus phages. Biochemical and structural analyses reveal that phage AcrIIIA2 co-opts host enolase, a highly abundant glycolysis enzyme, to form a ternary complex with the S. thermophilus type III-A (Csm) CRISPR ribonucleoprotein complex, obstructing its immune responses. The enolase-chaperoned AcrIIIA2 blocks the initial step of phage RNA binding, thereby preventing downstream type III anti-phage immune responses. Enolase participates in the anti-immune response by serving as an essential structural scaffold, stabilizing Acr-CRISPR interactions. These findings uncover a new anti-defence strategy that exploits a well-conserved host factor to block CRISPR immunity.

Indexed as

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic RepeatsCRISPR-Cas SystemsPhosphopyruvate HydrataseStreptococcus PhagesStreptococcus thermophilusViral ProteinsPhosphopyruvate HydrataseViral Proteins

Identifiers

PMID41219509
PMCPMC12811900

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.