Reposted by Ashley SullivanbioRxiv Microbiology @biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social · 12/08/2026Minimal diadenylate cyclases have been co-opted to detect phage immune evasion www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20… 0159
Reposted by Ashley SullivanAdy Ragucci @aragucci.bsky.social · 12/08/2026Excited to share our story on diadenylate cyclases in bacterial immunity! Building on the discovery of Panoptes, we present Panoptoo: a DAC operon that uses cUA to guard against phage infection. Grateful to @daniellehaley.bsky.social and @kranzuschlab.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...biorxiv.orgBacterial diadenylate cyclase domains synthesize diverse nucleotide signals in anti-phage defenseBacterial diadenylate cyclase (DAC) enzymes synthesize the nucleotide signal 3′3′ cyclic di-AMP (3′3′-c-di-AMP) to control osmoregulation, cell-wall homeostasis, and DNA-damage responses. Here we disc... 13720
Reposted by Ashley SullivanBen Morehouse @benmorehouse.bsky.social · 12/08/2026I hope you can appreciate that PanDA really is Panoptes-like in its mechanism. Panoptoo if you will! -> see the excellent complementary study that also just launched from our friends @aragucci.bsky.social and Danielle Haley in the @kranzuschlab.bsky.social !!! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...biorxiv.orgBacterial diadenylate cyclase domains synthesize diverse nucleotide signals in anti-phage defenseBacterial diadenylate cyclase (DAC) enzymes synthesize the nucleotide signal 3′3′ cyclic di-AMP (3′3′-c-di-AMP) to control osmoregulation, cell-wall homeostasis, and DNA-damage responses. Here we disc... 031
Reposted by Ashley SullivanBen Morehouse @benmorehouse.bsky.social · 12/08/2026Today we are excited to introduce you to PanDA 🐼🐼🐼, a newly uncovered antiphage system!! Attendees at @SISB2026 would have heard a little about this from graduate student Ali Nabhani back in May, but we are now out here in preprint form and delighted to share more of the details. (Thread below)biorxiv.orgMinimal diadenylate cyclases have been co-opted to detect phage immune evasionMany bacterial immune defenses transmit recognition of phage infection via the generation of diverse cyclic nucleotide second messengers. Phage have evolved to subvert this kind of immunity by sequest... 15323
Reposted by Ashley Sullivanlaurelrobbins.bsky.social @laurelrobbins.bsky.social · 05/05/2026I’m thrilled to share an update to our work on bacterial NACHT domain containing proteins! In our last preprint, we reported that bNACHT11 is activated by multiple phage proteins. We’ve now expanded this work with structural insight and investigation of programmed cell death following activation.biorxiv.org 23520
Ashley Sullivan @aesully98.bsky.social · 03/10/2025A little late to the Panoptes party, but I’m delighted to share that our paper is published! 👁️ www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comThe Panoptes system uses decoy cyclic nucleotides to defend against phage - NatureThe Panoptes antiphage system defends bacteria by detecting phage-encoded counter-defences that sequester cyclic nucleotide signals, triggering membrane disruption and highlighting a broader strategy of sensing immune evasion through second-messenger surveillance. 1268
Reposted by Ashley SullivanMalcolm White @mfwhite2.bsky.social · 02/10/2025My pleasure @erinedoherty.bsky.social and @benmorehouse.bsky.social - for me this was the stand-out discovery of the last year in the field 0247
Reposted by Ashley SullivanErin Doherty @erinedoherty.bsky.social · 02/10/2025Very excited to see our work appear alongside findings from @aaronwhiteley.bsky.social & @benmorehouse.bsky.social ! www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comThe Panoptes system uses decoy cyclic nucleotides to defend against phage - NatureThe Panoptes antiphage system defends bacteria by detecting phage-encoded counter-defences that sequester cyclic nucleotide signals, triggering membrane disruption and highlighting a broader strategy of sensing immune evasion through second-messenger surveillance. 172
Reposted by Ashley SullivanErin Doherty @erinedoherty.bsky.social · 02/10/2025Now online at @nature.com we show how the Panoptes defense system protects against viruses that attempt immune evasion - and expands our understanding of the role of oligonucleotides in immunity. Check out this work co-led with @benadler.bsky.social here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comA miniature CRISPR–Cas10 enzyme confers immunity by inhibitory signalling - NaturePanoptes, an anti-phage defence system against virus-mediated immune suppression, is revealed. 25622
Reposted by Ashley SullivanBen Adler @benadler.bsky.social · 01/10/2025Thank you to everyone who helped make this story happen! Obligatory meme to summarize: “How I imagine phage facing CBASS and mCpol” 172
Reposted by Ashley SullivanBen Adler @benadler.bsky.social · 01/10/2025Our sister-story from our friends @aesully98.bsky.social , @benmorehouse.bsky.social and @aaronwhiteley.bsky.social is out today as well! Congratulations!! www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comThe Panoptes system uses decoy cyclic nucleotides to defend against phage - NatureThe Panoptes antiphage system defends bacteria by detecting phage-encoded counter-defences that sequester cyclic nucleotide signals, triggering membrane disruption and highlighting a broader strategy of sensing immune evasion through second-messenger surveillance. 1101
Reposted by Ashley SullivanKranzusch Lab @kranzuschlab.bsky.social · 17/07/2025A new preprint led by Sonomi Yamaguchi in our lab describes a bacterial anti-phage defense system named Clover that uses nucleotide signals to both activate and inhibit host immunity. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 25528
Reposted by Ashley SullivanSorek Lab @soreklab.bsky.social · 14/07/2025Preprint: “Structural modeling reveals viral proteins that manipulate host immune signaling” Using AI-guided structural modeling, we find new families of viral proteins that sequester or cleave host immune signaling molecules Congrats Nitzan Tal! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 17634
Reposted by Ashley Sullivantoninagy3.bsky.social @toninagy3.bsky.social · 11/07/2025I am delighted to share that my work in the @aaronwhiteley.bsky.social lab is now on bioRxiv! We used a large-scale genetic screen to begin defining the vast landscape of phage proteins that trigger immune signaling in bacteria. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...biorxiv.orgIdentifying phage proteins that activate the bacterial innate immune systemBacteria have evolved sophisticated antiphage systems that halt phage replication upon detecting specific phage triggers. Identifying phage triggers is crucial to our understanding of immune signaling... 1199
Reposted by Ashley SullivanAmy Conte @amyconte.bsky.social · 04/06/2025Excited to share that my work in the @aaronwhiteley.bsky.social lab describing chaperone-mediated phage sensing by a bacterial NLR-related protein is out in @plosbiology.org! 15420
Reposted by Ashley SullivanBen Morehouse @benmorehouse.bsky.social · 31/03/2025CBASS, CRISPR, and mCpol- oh my! What a satisfying collaboration with @aaronwhiteley.bsky.social 's lab- we uncovered a new cyclic dinucleotide signaling pathway, but it doesn't work how you'd expect! Check out the thread from @aesully98.bsky.social for an overview of the most important findings! 03314
Ashley Sullivan @aesully98.bsky.social · 31/03/2025Excited to share that my work from the @aaronwhiteley.bsky.social lab is now on bioRxiv! With @benmorehouse.bsky.social, we discovered that the Panoptes defense system—named after the all-seeing watchman of Hera—uses decoy nucleotides to detect phage anti-defense proteins.biorxiv.orgA minimal CRISPR polymerase produces decoy cyclic nucleotides to detect phage anti-defense proteinsBacteria use antiphage systems to combat phages, their ubiquitous competitors, and evolve new defenses through repeated reshuffling of basic functional units into novel reformulations. A common theme ... 22814
Reposted by Ashley SullivanMiriam Goldstein @miriamgoldstein.bsky.social · 06/02/2025Just in case you thought that removing DEI criteria would mean that everyone is competing equally: NIH is removing grad students from underrepresented backgrounds from the applicant pool altogether. Their applications will not be considered. Other students, not from these backgrounds, will be. 16154042847
Reposted by Ashley SullivanEmily Kibby @emilykibby.bsky.social · 18/12/2024I’m so excited to share that some of my grad work in the @aaronwhiteley lab is now available on bioRxiv! We used an AlphaFold-multimer screen to uncover how a bacterial NLR-related proteins senses multiple phage-encoded proteins to confer phage protection. Link: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...biorxiv.orgA bacterial NLR-related protein recognizes multiple unrelated phage triggers to sense infectionImmune systems must rapidly sense viral infections to initiate antiviral signaling and protect the host. Bacteria encode >100 distinct viral (phage) defense systems and each has evolved to sense cruci... 36427
Reposted by Ashley SullivanAaron Whiteley @aaronwhiteley.bsky.social · 01/03/2024Our review comparing bacterial and eukaryotic immune systems is out now. Check out Hannah’s thread for the highlights! www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comConservation and similarity of bacterial and eukaryotic innate immunity - Nature Reviews MicrobiologyIn this Review, Ledvina and Whiteley highlight the key similarities between eukaryotic and bacterial innate immune systems, exploring conserved immune components and signalling strategies, as well as ... 14121