DOI: 10.5061/dryad.zgmsbccq5
title: A bacterial toxin-antitoxin system as a native defence element against RNA phages

description: Bacteria have evolved a wide range of defence strategies to protect
 themselves against bacterial viruses (phages). Most known bacterial
 antiphage defence systems target phages with DNA genomes, which raises the
 question of how bacteria defend against phages with RNA genomes. Bacterial
 toxin-antitoxin systems that cleave intracellular RNA under stress could
 potentially protect bacteria against RNA phages, but this has not been
 explored experimentally. In this study, we investigated the role of a
 model toxin-antitoxin system, MazEF, in protecting Escherichia coli
 against two RNA phage species. When challenged with these phages, native
 presence of mazEF moderately reduced population susceptibility and
 increased survival of individual E. coli cells. Genomic analysis further
 revealed an underrepresentation of the MazF cleavage site in genomes of
 RNA phages infecting E. coli, indicating selection against cleavage. These
 results show that, in addition to other physiological roles, RNA-degrading
 toxin-antitoxin systems may serve as a native defence system against RNA
 phages.
description: # **A bacterial toxin-antitoxin system as a native defence element against
 RNA phages** Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.zgmsbccq5](10.5061/dryad.zgmsbccq5) ## Description of the
 data and file structure **Time-lapse microscopy data** for the publication
 **A bacterial toxin-antitoxin system as a native defence element against
 RNA phages** by Nela Nikolic, Maroš Pleška, Tobias Bergmiller, and Călin
 C. Guet ### Description of files Pos subfolders in each zip file indicate
 recorded positions in each time-lapse experiment. Each experiment and
 recorded position contain a file with the respective information on
 settings and image acquisition: 1\) display_and_comments.txt This file
 defines display settings for four imaging channels in each experiment,
 ReflexRed, Fluo_mCherry (Fluo_mCherry = mCherry reporter signal), Fluo_GFP
 (Fluo_GFP = Fluorescein signal), and Transmitted, including their
 intensity ranges, histogram settings, and gamma correction. 2\)
 metadata.txt This file contains metadata for a single imaging slice,
 detailing the stage and camera settings (XY stage, focus, and autofocus)
 in each recorded frame per position. Details of the microscopy setup,
 image acquisition and image analysis can be found in the Methods and
 Supplementary Methods sections of the publication. ### Files and variables
 #### File: wt\_MS2\_7-May-21.zip **Description:** wild-type / MS2 / 650
 min of phage infection analyzed #### File: wt\_MS2\_16-Mar-21.zip
 **Description:** wild-type / MS2 / 650 min of phage infection analyzed
 #### File: wt\_MS2\_21-Jun-21.zip **Description:** wild-type / MS2 / 650
 min of phage infection analyzed #### File: mut\_MS2\_24-Jun-21.zip
 **Description:** mazEF mutant / MS2 / 650 min of phage infection analyzed
 #### File: mut\_MS2\_20-Jul-21.zip **Description:** mazEF mutant / MS2 /
 650 min of phage infection analyzed #### File: mut\_MS2\_21-Jul-21.zip
 **Description:** mazEF mutant / MS2 / 650 min of phage infection analyzed
 #### File: wt\_QB\_7-Jul-21.zip **Description:** wild-type / QB / 985 min
 of phage infection analyzed #### File: wt\_QB\_7-Apr-22.zip
 **Description:** wild-type / QB / 985 min of phage infection analyzed ####
 File: mut\_QB\_8-Jul-21.zip **Description:** mazEF mutant / QB / 985 min
 of phage infection analyzed; lacking initial data for run-in LB medium,
 technical issues - computer forced shut-down #### File:
 mut\_QB\_22-Jul-21.zip **Description:** mazEF mutant / QB / 985 min of
 phage infection analyzed ## Code/software This is a standard microscopy
 dataset, image sequences containing tif files, which can be viewed by
 Image J.