{
  "abstract": "The Type VI secretion system (T6SS) mediates interbacterial competition, yet the mechanisms underlying its effector diversity and cell-targeting specificity remain poorly understood. Here, we identify Btle, a phospholipase B (PLB) effector defining a unique Tle subfamily (Tle7), encoded in approximately 18.0% of Bacteroides fragilis strains. Lipidomic profiling reveals that Btle preferentially targets Bacteroides glycerophospholipids, disrupting membrane integrity and driving strict inter-Bacteroides competition, with self-intoxication prevented by the cognate immunity protein Btli1. Guided by structural modeling and rational mutagenesis, we developed a Btle variant (BtleM) that evades Btli1 neutralization, establishing a broadly applicable counterselection marker for homologous recombination across Bacteroides. Secretion assays combined with AlphaFold structural prediction demonstrate that Btle delivery depends on a dual-effector complex, uncovering a conserved secretion mechanism within this genus. Collectively, this work expands the Tle superfamily with a calcium-dependent PLB effector, clarifies how glycerophospholipid compositional divergence shapes interbacterial targeting specificity, and establishes a universal counterselection strategy for genetic manipulation of gut Bacteroides.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 12,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xiaoning Xu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Zhe Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jing He"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yan Yang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jinghua Xu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Weixun Li"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Shuaining Zheng"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xuyao Jiao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Kun Jiang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Shengying Li"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Shuang-Jiang Liu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xiang Gao",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6397-5639"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9gc4g9a6hgbab.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1080/19490976.2026.2750098",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13699834",
  "id": "9gc4g9a6hgbab",
  "issns": [
    "1949-0976",
    "1949-0984"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909602",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Research Article"
    ],
    [
      "lcc",
      "RC799-869"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|CRISPR and Genetic Engineering"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223369290",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13699834?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13699834",
  "pmid": "42909602",
  "published": "2026-10-23",
  "publisher": "Taylor & Francis",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9gc4g9a6hgbab.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:03Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42909602",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909602"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:23Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13699834",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2026.2750098"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:44:16Z",
      "native_id": "8af4adf30b5949c18804a539f90711e3",
      "source": "doaj",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2026.2750098"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:1312|CRISPR and Genetic Engineering",
      "subfield": "molecular-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "A phospholipase B effector exploits membrane lipid divergence to drive inter-Bacteroides competition and enables universal genome editing.",
  "title_text": "A phospholipase B effector exploits membrane lipid divergence to drive inter-Bacteroides competition and enables universal genome editing.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T13:44:16Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9gc4g9a6hgbab",
  "venue": "Gut microbes",
  "versions": []
}