{
  "abstract": "Bacteria and archaea possess an enormous variety of antivirus immune systems that often share homologous proteins and domains, some of which contribute to diverse defense strategies. YprA family helicases are central to widespread defense systems DISARM, Dpd, and Druantia. Here, through comprehensive phylogenetic and structural prediction analysis of the YprA family, we identify several major, previously unrecognized clades, with unique signatures of domain architecture and associations with other genes. Each YprA family clade defines a distinct class of defense systems, which we denote ARMADA (disARM-related Antiviral Defense Array), BRIGADE (Base hypermodification and Restriction Involving Genes encoding ARMADA-like and Dpd-like Effectors), or TALON (TOTE-like and ARMADA-Like Operon with Nuclease). In addition to the YprA-like helicase, ARMADA systems share two more proteins with DISARM. However, ARMADA YprA homologs are most similar to those of Druantia, suggesting ARMADA is a 'missing link' connecting DISARM and Druantia. We show experimentally that ARMADA protects bacteria against a broad range of phages via a direct, non-abortive mechanism. We also discovered multiple families of satellite phage-like mobile genetic elements that often carry both ARMADA and Druantia Type III systems and show that these can provide synergistic resistance against diverse phages.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Division of Intramural Research, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA",
    "National Institutes of Health",
    "Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), 97080 Würzburg, Germany",
    "Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research",
    "School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK",
    "University of Southampton",
    "National Institute of Health",
    "School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Division of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3126, New Zealand. Electronic address: simon.jackson@waikato.ac.nz",
    "University of Waikato",
    "School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK. Electronic address: f.nobrega@soton.ac.uk",
    "Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), 97080 Würzburg, Germany; Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany. Electronic address: chase.beisel@helmholtz-hiri.de",
    "Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research",
    "Division of Intramural Research, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. Electronic address: koonin@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 11,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Ryan T. Bell",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1249-8398"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Thomas Gaudin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4,
        5
      ],
      "name": "Yi Wu",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5965-0399"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Sofya K. Garushyants",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2104-1795"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Harutyun Sahakyan",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3750-8118"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Kira S. Makarova",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8174-2844"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yuri I. Wolf",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0247-8708"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7,
        8
      ],
      "name": "Simon A. Jackson",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4512-3093"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9,
        5
      ],
      "name": "Franklin L. Nóbrega",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8238-1083"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        10,
        11
      ],
      "name": "Chase L. Beisel",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0650-9943"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        12,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Eugene V. Koonin",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3943-8299"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2bbc7tw7ps0j0.bib",
  "cited_by": 9,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.chom.2026.05.015",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "2bbc7tw7ps0j0",
  "issns": [
    "1931-3128",
    "1934-6069"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2026.05.015",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2303|Bacteriophages and microbial interactions"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W4414252107",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": "PMC12458937",
  "pmid": "41000832",
  "published": "2026-06-11",
  "publisher": "Cell Press",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2bbc7tw7ps0j0.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:26:58Z",
      "native_id": "W4414252107",
      "source": "openalex",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2026.05.015"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:2303|Bacteriophages and microbial interactions",
      "subfield": "ecology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "YprA-family helicases provide the missing link between diverse prokaryotic immune systems",
  "title_text": "YprA-family helicases provide the missing link between diverse prokaryotic immune systems",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-04T13:21:16Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2bbc7tw7ps0j0",
  "venue": "Cell Host & Microbe",
  "versions": []
}