{
  "abstract": "Bacterial antiviral immunity systems can be toxic to their hosts and must be tightly regulated. Immunity genes are often encoded by AT-rich mobile genetic elements subjected to silencing by nucleoid binding protein H-NS. Using RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, and chromosome 3D reconstruction with Micro-C, we find that H-NS binds and compacts bacterial immunity loci. H-NS deletion reveals anti-phage activity in model Escherichia coli strains generally considered phage-sensitive. Extending this approach to environmental isolates, we show that removal of H-NS silencing enhances defense, allowing bacteria to restrict phages with anti-defense proteins. We also discover Madara, a novel immunity system that complements the co-regulated BREX defense. Our results establish H-NS as a master regulator of bacterial immunity and highlight the importance of expression levels for anti-phage activity in native hosts.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Center for Bio- and Medical Technologies, Moscow, Russia"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 13,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "T. Khvostikov"
    },
    {
      "name": "P. Iarema"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. Gavrilov"
    },
    {
      "name": "I. Shamovsky"
    },
    {
      "name": "V. Epshtein"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. Andriianov"
    },
    {
      "name": "P. Baikuzina"
    },
    {
      "name": "E. Shagimardanova"
    },
    {
      "name": "D. Senko"
    },
    {
      "name": "T. K. Wood"
    },
    {
      "name": "K. Severinov"
    },
    {
      "name": "E. Nudler"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "A. Isaev"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/df494zndqv225.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.09.05.749240",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.05.749240v1.full",
  "id": "df494zndqv225",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.05.749240v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "molecular biology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2303|Bacteriophages and microbial interactions"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7212242233",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.05.749240v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-05",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/df494zndqv225.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:32Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.09.05.749240",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.05.749240v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "biorxiv:molecular biology",
      "subfield": "molecular-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "H-NS silences antiviral immunity through 3D chromatin compaction",
  "title_text": "H-NS silences antiviral immunity through 3D chromatin compaction",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:21:32Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/df494zndqv225",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}