Serine recombinases are conserved genetic markers of antiphage defense systems

Abstract Antiphage defense systems confer bacteriophage (phage) resistance in bacteria. Renewed interest in phage therapy indicates a need to understand the breadth and molecular mechanisms of antiphage defenses. Traditionally, strategies to identify antiphage defenses lack throughput or are biased toward model bacteria. Herein, we developed a bioinformatic pipeline that uses a serine recombinase to identify known and unknown antiphage defense …