Tim R. Blower

The paper defines the mechanism of the MANTIS defence system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, showing how dual ATPases couple self-modification to non-self restriction through adenine hemimethylation and cleavage.

This study investigates the structural and functional properties of BrxC, a conserved AAA+ ATPase in the BREX phage restriction system, revealing its role in mediating competing protein associations and DNA binding that regulate host methylation and phage restriction.

The paper shows that Arbitrium phages from different species can influence each other's lysis-lysogeny decisions through peptide-based communication, leading to fitness advantages and coevolution.

This study identifies antitoxin-induced auto-phosphorylation as the mechanism by which AbiEii toxin is neutralized, reclassifying Abi systems as Type VII toxin-antitoxin systems.

This study identifies TslM as a novel reverse domain arrangement substrate of the Staphylococcus aureus type VII secretion system, revealing its lipase activity and secretion mechanism.

This study identifies and characterizes the PglZ:BrxB sub-complex of BREX phage defence systems, revealing PglZ as a metal-dependent nuclease that contributes to phage defence.

This study elucidates the molecular mechanism of BREX anti-phage immunity by showing how BrxX methyltransferase recognizes DNA and forms an immune complex to protect against phage infection.

This study identifies MenT3 as a tRNA nucleotidyltransferase that modifies serine tRNAs in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, affecting bacterial growth and revealing its role in infection.

The paper characterizes the BREX system in Salmonella, determines the structure of PglX, and shows how rational engineering expands phage targeting and host motif methylation.

The paper identifies a novel protein Stv associated with Shigella's success through temporal GWAS, showing its presence in expanding lineages and other bacterial species.