Oral Actinobacteria sense and defend against parasitic epibionts
Yaxi Wang, Jake Colautti, Larry A. Gallagher, Jaehoon Lee, Yongjun Tan, Savannah Farrell, Conor Farrell, Batbileg Bor, John C. C. Whitney, Dapeng Zhang, Snow Brook Peterson, Joseph D. Mougous
The paper identifies an Esx secretion system in Actinomycetota that defends against parasitic Patescibacteria by sensing epibionts and triggering a transcriptional response.
bioRxiv · Sep 9, 2026 · PreprintMicrobiology