Abstract
The evolutionary arms race between bacteria and phages has driven the development of diverse anti-phage defense mechanisms. Recent studies have identified noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) as key players in bacteria–phage conflicts, including CRISPR-Cas, toxin–antitoxin (TA), and reverse transcriptase (RT)-based defenses; however, our understanding of their roles in immunity is still emerging. In this review, we explore the multifaceted roles of ncRNAs in bacterial immunity, offering insights into their contributions to defense and anti-defense mechanisms, their influence on immune regulatory networks, and potential biotechnological applications. Finally, we highlight key outstanding questions in the field to spark future research directions.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
|---|---|
| Tidsskrift | Trends in Microbiology |
| Vol/bind | 33 |
| Udgave nummer | 2 |
| Sider (fra-til) | 208-222 |
| Antal sider | 15 |
| ISSN | 0966-842X |
| DOI | |
| Status | Udgivet - 2025 |
Bibliografisk note
Funding Information:We thank the Bacterial Immunity group at the Section of Microbiology (University of Copenhagen) for helpful discussions and mimosas. We thank Dr Nils Birkholz (University of Otago) for his thorough review and insightful edits, which have significantly enhanced the quality of this manuscript. R.P-R. was supported by the Lundbeck Fonden grant (R347-2020-2346) and a research grant (VIL60763) from VILLUM FONDEN. R.P-R. is co-inventor of the patent application WO2022013133, related to methods for modulating Cas effector activity using Racrs. M.R.M. is co-inventor of the patent application WO2023141602A2, relating to engineered retrons for genome editing. The remaining authors have no interests to declare.
Funding Information:
We thank the Bacterial Immunity group at the Section of Microbiology (University of Copenhagen) for helpful discussions and mimosas. We thank Dr Nils Birkholz (University of Otago) for his thorough review and insightful edits, which have significantly enhanced the quality of this manuscript. R.P-R. was supported by the Lundbeck Fonden grant ( R347-2020-2346 ) and a research grant ( VIL60763 ) from VILLUM FONDEN .
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