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Conservation of Antiviral Systems

1:28:48 recording · AUTO · 2 speakers

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Brief overview

A Cell Host Microbe paper argues bacterial antiphage defenses have counterparts in human immune genes.

  1. Bacteria carry complex, layered immune defensesMore than 100 antiphage systems are now proposed, with 132 catalogued and most mechanisms still unknown.
  2. Evolutionary leads are not functional proofKnocking down GIMAP5 and 6 changed herpesvirus infection only one and a half to twofold, with no panel of viruses tested.
  3. Open sequence databases beat gated onesNels picked Pathoplexis over GISAID, and Vincent cited the first SARS-CoV-2 genome shared from China as the payoff.
Executive Summary AI
  • Twevo Episode 106, from Microbe TV, was live-streamed on the 25th of September, 2024 with Vincent Racaniello and Nels joining from Salt Lake City.0:00
  • Nels recorded while COVID positive for the second time, said this bout felt milder than his 2022 infection, skipped Paxlovid, and told listeners not to postpone a booster the way he did.1:13
  • The paper they discuss, "conservation of antiviral systems across domains of life reveals immune genes in humans," comes from the current issue of Cell Host Microbe with four co-first authors and senior authors Enzo Poirier and Adi Bernheim, the work done largely in Paris at the Pasteur and Curie Institutes.11:38
  • The authors run the roughly 132 bacterial antiphage systems through their Defense Finder pipeline in reverse, picking Mokosh, Ilios and Lamassu and hunting for eukaryotic counterparts, landing on PLD6 and MOV10L1 in the piRNA pathway, the GIMAP GTPases, and a syntenic trio of FHAD1, CTRC and EFHD2.27:18
  • Both hosts judge the virology tacked on: only herpesvirus 1 and VSV were tested, effects were one and a half to twofold, and they reject the paper's claim that these genes "thwart" infection, while praising the pipeline and the leads it hands other labs.1:02:33
Key Quote
“There are no promises in science.”
— Vincent6:44
Key Quote
“And by giant viruses, we're not bluffing here.”
— Nels1:08:11
Key Quote
“They said it's cheaper to buy plastic and throw it away.”
— Vincent1:17:23