In this section
@article{Chmielowska:2026:10.1016/j.chom.2026.01.012,
author = {Chmielowska, C and Zamora-Caballero, S and Mancheño-Bonillo, J and Li, Y and Sin, D and Borenstein, T and Bendori, SO and Eldar, A and Marina, A and Penadés, JR},
doi = {10.1016/j.chom.2026.01.012},
journal = {Cell Host Microbe},
pages = {291--303.e10},
title = {A DNA recognition-mimicry switch governs induction in arbitrium phages.},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2026.01.012},
volume = {34},
year = {2026}
}
TY - JOUR
AB - Temperate phages integrate multiple information sources to regulate lysis-lysogeny transitions. SPbeta-like phages use arbitrium signaling and DNA damage to control repressor activity during lytic induction, but how the repressor functions and is inactivated by the SOS response remains unclear. Here, we show that SroF, the SPbeta-like phage repressor, binds DNA via a mechanism involving its integrase-like fold, enabling stable prophage repression. Upon DNA damage, the host SOS response triggers derepression of an antirepressor, Sar. Sar binds SroF by mimicking the DNA structure recognized by the repressor, thereby inactivating its function and inducing phage. This mechanism is conserved across SPbeta-like phages, which encode multiple, specific SroF-Sar pairs. Surprisingly, repressor inactivation alone is insufficient for efficient induction when arbitrium levels are high. Our results uncover the mechanism underlying a double layer of control that ensures phage induction occurs only under SOS conditions and in the absence of neighboring prophages.
AU - Chmielowska,C
AU - Zamora-Caballero,S
AU - Mancheño-Bonillo,J
AU - Li,Y
AU - Sin,D
AU - Borenstein,T
AU - Bendori,SO
AU - Eldar,A
AU - Marina,A
AU - Penadés,JR
DO - 10.1016/j.chom.2026.01.012
EP - 303
PY - 2026///
SP - 291
TI - A DNA recognition-mimicry switch governs induction in arbitrium phages.
T2 - Cell Host Microbe
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2026.01.012
UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/41619736
VL - 34
ER -