{"id":144,"date":"2025-04-30T10:12:55","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T17:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/?p=144"},"modified":"2025-04-30T10:12:55","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T17:12:55","slug":"bacteria-use-ancient-war-trick-against-viral-invaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/30\/bacteria-use-ancient-war-trick-against-viral-invaders\/","title":{"rendered":"Bacteria Use Ancient War Trick Against Viral Invaders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine tricking your enemy into giving you their weapons, then using those same weapons to defeat them. That’s exactly what some bacteria do to fight off viral infections, according to groundbreaking research from scientists at the University of Copenhagen and Huazhong Agricultural University.<\/p>\n

The newly discovered bacterial defense system, named “Kongming” after an ancient Chinese military strategist famous for similar tactics, reveals an ingenious survival strategy: when viruses attack bacteria, Kongming hijacks the virus’s own replication machinery to trigger a self-destruct mechanism that prevents the infection from spreading.<\/p>\n

“We’ve discovered a new antiviral signaling pathway in bacteria that, ironically, relies on a viral enzyme to produce the alarm signal that triggers defense\u2014just like the historical Kongming, who used the production of enemy’s own arrows against them,” explains Assistant Professor Rafael Pinilla-Redondo from the University of Copenhagen, who co-led the study.<\/p>\n

Beyond its evolutionary significance, this discovery could have important applications for medicine. As antibiotic resistance continues to grow as a global health threat, researchers are increasingly looking to phage therapy\u2014using viruses that target specific bacteria\u2014as an alternative treatment for bacterial infections.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The research, published in Science<\/a>, shows how E. coli bacteria transform viral enzymes called nucleotide kinases\u2014which viruses normally use to replicate their genetic material\u2014into tools that instead produce a warning signal molecule called deoxyinosine triphosphate (dITP). This signal activates a cascade that forces the infected bacterium to sacrifice itself, preventing the virus from spreading to neighboring bacteria.<\/p>\n

“The bacterium sacrifices itself to stop the virus\u2014which may sound dramatic, but it’s an incredibly effective strategy. By dying, it takes the virus down with it, preventing the infection from spreading to other bacteria in the population. It’s a bit like blowing up a bridge to stop an advancing enemy,” explains Pinilla-Redondo.<\/p>\n

In the ongoing evolutionary arms race, some viruses have already developed countermeasures. PhD student Ruiliang Zhao, co-first author of the study, notes that “Some viruses have figured out how to get around Kongming. They carry special enzymes that break down the molecules needed to trigger the system. It’s their way of cutting off the cables of the alarm before it goes off.”<\/p>\n

Beyond its evolutionary significance, this discovery could have important applications for medicine. As antibiotic resistance continues to grow as a global health threat, researchers are increasingly looking to phage therapy\u2014using viruses that target specific bacteria\u2014as an alternative treatment for bacterial infections.<\/p>\n

Understanding bacterial defense systems like Kongming could help scientists develop more effective phage therapies by revealing how bacteria resist viral attacks and how certain viruses overcome these defenses. Additionally, the molecular machinery driving Kongming may inspire new tools in synthetic biology and diagnostics, potentially even for detecting molecules linked to human diseases like cancer.<\/p>\n

This remarkable bacterial strategy not only expands our understanding of microbial immune systems but also provides a vivid reminder that some of nature’s most sophisticated defense mechanisms have evolved in its smallest organisms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Imagine tricking your enemy into giving you their weapons, then using those same weapons to defeat them. That’s exactly what some bacteria do to fight off viral infections, according to groundbreaking research from scientists at the University of Copenhagen and Huazhong Agricultural University. The newly discovered bacterial defense system, named “Kongming” after an ancient Chinese … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1299,"featured_media":145,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"yoast_head":"\nBacteria Use Ancient War Trick Against Viral Invaders - SciChi<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/30\/bacteria-use-ancient-war-trick-against-viral-invaders\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bacteria Use Ancient War Trick Against Viral Invaders\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Imagine tricking your enemy into giving you their weapons, then using those same weapons to defeat them. That’s exactly what some bacteria do to fight off viral infections, according to groundbreaking research from scientists at the University of Copenhagen and Huazhong Agricultural University. The newly discovered bacterial defense system, named “Kongming” after an ancient Chinese ... Read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/30\/bacteria-use-ancient-war-trick-against-viral-invaders\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SciChi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-30T17:12:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/04\/science.ads6055-fa.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"384\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"SciChi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"SciChi\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/30\\\/bacteria-use-ancient-war-trick-against-viral-invaders\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/30\\\/bacteria-use-ancient-war-trick-against-viral-invaders\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"SciChi\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9974872362fae8e6096bd8c6637cf082\"},\"headline\":\"Bacteria Use Ancient War Trick Against Viral Invaders\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-30T17:12:55+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/30\\\/bacteria-use-ancient-war-trick-against-viral-invaders\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":504,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/30\\\/bacteria-use-ancient-war-trick-against-viral-invaders\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/science.ads6055-fa.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Health\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/30\\\/bacteria-use-ancient-war-trick-against-viral-invaders\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/30\\\/bacteria-use-ancient-war-trick-against-viral-invaders\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/30\\\/bacteria-use-ancient-war-trick-against-viral-invaders\\\/\",\"name\":\"Bacteria Use Ancient War Trick Against Viral Invaders - SciChi\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/30\\\/bacteria-use-ancient-war-trick-against-viral-invaders\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/30\\\/bacteria-use-ancient-war-trick-against-viral-invaders\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/science.ads6055-fa.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-30T17:12:55+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/30\\\/bacteria-use-ancient-war-trick-against-viral-invaders\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/30\\\/bacteria-use-ancient-war-trick-against-viral-invaders\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/30\\\/bacteria-use-ancient-war-trick-against-viral-invaders\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/science.ads6055-fa.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/science.ads6055-fa.jpg\",\"width\":900,\"height\":384,\"caption\":\"How a modified DNA building block helps bacteria fight viruses (Left) In the Kongming defense system used by some bacteria, two proteins\u2014KomA and a viral enzyme\u2014work together to produce a special molecule called dITP. 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These nanoparticles restore gut microbiota, improving conditions like ulcerative colitis by enhancing microbial\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"concoction boiling over a fire","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/04\/pexels-tieugiang007-34885276-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/04\/pexels-tieugiang007-34885276-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/04\/pexels-tieugiang007-34885276-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/04\/pexels-tieugiang007-34885276-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":173,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/05\/27\/scientists-turn-immune-cells-into-light-controlled-robots\/","url_meta":{"origin":144,"position":2},"title":"Scientists Turn Immune Cells Into Light-Controlled Robots","author":"SciChi","date":"May 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Chinese researchers have developed a new type of microrobot that transforms ordinary immune cells into precision-guided warriors using nothing more than focused light beams. The \"phagobots\"\u2014macrophage cells that can be awakened and steered with near-infrared laser light\u2014represent a major advance in biomedical robotics by combining the natural power of immune\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The phagobot\u2019s \u201cwake-up\u201d program is triggered by localized optothermal stimulation of a resting macrophage using near-infrared (NIR) micro-irradiation. Once activated, the phagobot\u2019s movement can be precisely guided through optical control of the macrophage\u2019s extended filopodia. It can then be directed to carry out immune clearance tasks by phagocytosing a range of bio-threats of varying sizes, both in vitro and in vivo, within a living zebrafish.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/image.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":312,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/12\/22\/the-coating-that-heals-its-own-scars-and-fights-germs\/","url_meta":{"origin":144,"position":3},"title":"The Coating That Heals Its Own Scars and Fights Germs","author":"SciChi","date":"December 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Every scratch on a phone screen or scuff on a pair of safety goggles isn't just cosmetic damage. Those tiny cracks trap bacteria, cloud the surface, and weaken structural integrity. For years, materials scientists have faced a stubborn trade-off: make a coating hard enough to protect a device, and it's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technology"","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Schematic representation of the preparation process of PUa-C7 Seb+ materials.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/12\/image.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/12\/image.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/12\/image.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/12\/image.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":78,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/04\/28\/common-drug-reverses-devastating-gum-disease\/","url_meta":{"origin":144,"position":4},"title":"Common Drug Reverses Devastating Gum Disease","author":"SciChi","date":"April 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Scientists have discovered that a medication already approved for treating multiple sclerosis and psoriasis shows remarkable promise in combating periodontitis, one of the leading causes of tooth loss worldwide. Researchers from Wenzhou Medical University found that dimethyl fumarate (DMF) significantly reduced bone loss and inflammation in experimental models of gum\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"model of teeth on a pedestal","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/04\/teeth-5522650_1280.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/04\/teeth-5522650_1280.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/04\/teeth-5522650_1280.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/04\/teeth-5522650_1280.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":201,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/06\/24\/dangerous-viruses-related-to-deadly-nipah-found-in-chinese-bats\/","url_meta":{"origin":144,"position":5},"title":"Dangerous Viruses Related to Deadly Nipah Found in Chinese Bats","author":"SciChi","date":"June 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Scientists have discovered two viruses closely related to the lethal Nipah and Hendra viruses lurking in bat kidneys near villages in China's Yunnan province. The findings raise urgent concerns about potential spillover to humans through contaminated fruit, as these bats inhabit orchards where they could spread the pathogens through urine.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/category\/environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Bats in orchard","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/Bats-in-orchard-.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/Bats-in-orchard-.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/Bats-in-orchard-.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/06\/Bats-in-orchard-.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1299"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":146,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144\/revisions\/146"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}