Bacterial retrons encode phage-defending tripartite toxin-antitoxin systems.

Retrons are prokaryotic genetic retroelements encoding a reverse transcriptase that produces multi-copy single-stranded DNA (msDNA). Despite decades of research on the biosynthesis of msDNA, the function and physiological roles of retrons have remained unknown. Here we show that Retron-Sen2 of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium encodes an accessory toxin protein, STM14_4640, which we renamed as RcaT.

Stress granules are dispensable for mRNA stabilization during cellular stress.

During cellular stress, protein synthesis is severely reduced and bulk mRNA is recruited to stress granules (SGs). Previously, we showed that the SG-recruited IGF2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) interferes with target mRNA degradation during cellular stress. Whether this requires the formation of SGs remained elusive.