identifier: traitmech:000274 label: dCTPdeaminase system definition: A phage defense system in which an organism possesses a dCTPdeaminase locus that converts dCTP into deoxy-uracil nucleotides during phage infection, depletes dCTP from the nucleotide pool, and halts phage replication by starving the phage of an essential DNA building block. definition_source: DOI:10.1101/2021.04.26.441389 trait_category: GENOMICS term_kind: CLASS mapping_status: PROPOSED parent_traits: - traitmech:000209 synonyms: - synonym_text: dCTPdeaminase synonym_type: EXACT_SYNONYM source: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mdmparis/defense-finder-models/afb0e5a8b466be53586b13266f5d38d98c3ac268/List_system_article.md evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1101/2021.04.26.441389 snippet: bacteria employ a similar strategy to defend against phage infection notes: Tal et al. support nucleotide depletion as a bacterial anti-phage strategy. - reference: DOI:10.1101/2021.04.26.441389 snippet: a family of defensive dCTP deaminase proteins that, in response to phage infection, convert dCTP into deoxy-uracil nucleotides notes: Tal et al. support the dCTPdeaminase family as a phage-responsive dCTP-conversion defense. - reference: DOI:10.1101/2021.04.26.441389 snippet: starving the phage of an essential DNA building block and halting its replication notes: Tal et al. connect dCTP depletion to phage DNA-building-block starvation and replication arrest. - reference: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mdmparis/defense-finder-models/afb0e5a8b466be53586b13266f5d38d98c3ac268/List_system_article.md snippet: dCTPdeaminase | 10\.1101/2021\.04\.26\.441389 | Antiviral defense via nucleotide depletion in bacteria notes: The DefenseFinder article registry maps the named dCTPdeaminase system to the Tal et al. nucleotide-depletion preprint. - reference: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mdmparis/defense-finder-models/afb0e5a8b466be53586b13266f5d38d98c3ac268/DefenseFinder_rules.tsv snippet: dCTPdeaminase__dCTPdeaminase notes: The DefenseFinder rules table models dCTPdeaminase as a single-profile system. - reference: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mdmparis/defense-finder-models/afb0e5a8b466be53586b13266f5d38d98c3ac268/Liste_hmm_system.md snippet: dCTPdeaminase__dCTPdeaminase notes: The DefenseFinder HMM inventory records the custom dCTPdeaminase profile. causal_graphs: - graph_id: dctpdeaminase_dctp_depletion_defense title: dCTPdeaminase loci deplete dCTP during phage infection description: Process sketch linking a dCTPdeaminase locus to phage-responsive dCTP conversion, dCTP depletion, phage DNA-building-block starvation, halted phage replication, and the dCTPdeaminase system trait. scope_status: NONMECHANISTIC scope_notes: The graph captures the DOI abstract's phage-responsive dCTP conversion and nucleotide-depletion output without asserting a universal phage sensor, activation route, strain-resolved enzyme accession, or complete substrate scope for every natural dCTPdeaminase system. nodes: - node_id: dctpdeaminase_locus label: dCTPdeaminase locus node_type: GENETIC_ELEMENT description: A dCTPdeaminase anti-phage defense locus represented by a custom DefenseFinder dCTPdeaminase profile. - node_id: sensitive_phage_infection label: sensitive phage infection node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: Infection by a phage whose propagation can be blocked by a dCTPdeaminase defense system. - node_id: dctp_conversion label: dCTP conversion into deoxy-uracil nucleotides node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: Conversion of dCTP into deoxy-uracil nucleotides by defensive dCTP deaminase proteins during phage infection. - node_id: dctp_depletion label: dCTP nucleotide-pool depletion node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: Elimination of dCTP from the nucleotide pool during dCTPdeaminase-mediated defense. - node_id: phage_dna_building_block_starvation label: phage DNA-building-block starvation node_type: STATE description: Deprivation of an essential deoxynucleotide needed for phage DNA synthesis. - node_id: halted_phage_replication label: halted phage replication node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: Arrest of bacteriophage replication after dCTP depletion. - node_id: dctpdeaminase_system_trait label: dCTPdeaminase system node_type: TRAIT grounding: traitmech:000274 description: Possession of a genome-encoded dCTPdeaminase phage-defense system. - node_id: phage_defense_system label: phage defense system node_type: TRAIT grounding: traitmech:000209 description: Possession of one or more genome-encoded immune systems that inhibit bacteriophage infection. edges: - subject: dctpdeaminase_locus predicate: contributes to predicate_id: RO:0002326 object: dctp_conversion description: The dCTPdeaminase locus encodes the dCTP deaminase activity that converts dCTP into deoxy-uracil nucleotides. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1101/2021.04.26.441389 snippet: defensive dCTP deaminase proteins that, in response to phage infection, convert dCTP notes: Tal et al. identify defensive dCTP deaminase proteins that convert dCTP during phage infection. - reference: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mdmparis/defense-finder-models/afb0e5a8b466be53586b13266f5d38d98c3ac268/Liste_hmm_system.md snippet: dCTPdeaminase__dCTPdeaminase notes: DefenseFinder models the dCTPdeaminase protein profile used to identify the system. - subject: sensitive_phage_infection predicate: triggers object: dctp_conversion description: Phage infection induces dCTP conversion by defensive dCTP deaminase proteins. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1101/2021.04.26.441389 snippet: in response to phage infection, convert dCTP notes: Tal et al. place dCTP conversion in the phage-infection response. - subject: dctp_conversion predicate: contributes to predicate_id: RO:0002326 object: dctp_depletion description: Conversion of dCTP into deoxy-uracil nucleotides depletes the host dCTP nucleotide pool. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1101/2021.04.26.441389 snippet: completely eliminate the specific deoxynucleotide (either dCTP or dGTP) from the nucleotide pool during phage infection notes: Tal et al. connect defensive dCTP conversion to loss of dCTP from the nucleotide pool. - subject: dctp_depletion predicate: contributes to predicate_id: RO:0002326 object: phage_dna_building_block_starvation description: dCTP depletion starves the infecting phage of an essential DNA building block. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1101/2021.04.26.441389 snippet: starving the phage of an essential DNA building block notes: Tal et al. support phage DNA-building-block starvation as the output of defensive deoxynucleotide depletion. - subject: phage_dna_building_block_starvation predicate: contributes to predicate_id: RO:0002326 object: halted_phage_replication description: Starvation for dCTP halts phage DNA replication. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1101/2021.04.26.441389 snippet: starving the phage of an essential DNA building block and halting its replication notes: Tal et al. place phage-replication arrest downstream of defensive deoxynucleotide depletion. - subject: halted_phage_replication predicate: confers predicate_id: METPO:2007700 object: dctpdeaminase_system_trait description: dCTPdeaminase-mediated arrest of phage replication realizes the dCTPdeaminase system trait. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1101/2021.04.26.441389 snippet: bacteria employ a similar strategy to defend against phage infection notes: Tal et al. support dCTP depletion as a bacterial phage-defense strategy. - subject: dctpdeaminase_system_trait predicate: is a predicate_id: rdfs:subClassOf object: phage_defense_system description: dCTPdeaminase system possession is a phage-defense-system trait. evidence: - reference: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mdmparis/defense-finder-models/afb0e5a8b466be53586b13266f5d38d98c3ac268/List_system_article.md snippet: dCTPdeaminase | 10\.1101/2021\.04\.26\.441389 | Antiviral defense via nucleotide depletion in bacteria notes: DefenseFinder associates dCTPdeaminase with the Tal et al. bacterial antiviral nucleotide-depletion preprint. discussions: - discussion_id: dctpdeaminase-activation-profile-gap prompt: Resolve dCTPdeaminase activation, locus boundaries, and representative enzyme accessions before asserting narrower component or subtype traits. kind: KNOWLEDGE_GAP status: OPEN rationale: Tal et al. support dCTPdeaminase as a phage-responsive dCTP-depletion defense and DefenseFinder models the system with a custom dCTPdeaminase HMM profile, but this first system-level record does not resolve the universal phage sensor, activation route, strain-level accessions, or whether additional unmodeled components define some natural loci. attaches_to: - causal_graphs#dctpdeaminase_dctp_depletion_defense posed_by: codex posed_date: '2026-09-19' curation_history: - timestamp: '2026-09-19T09:25:18Z' curator: codex action: MINTED_TRAITMECH_ID changes: Minted dCTPdeaminase system as a DOI-backed GENOMICS TraitRecord under phage defense system after an ignored-and-hidden duplicate review found no exact live TraitMech, METPO, or prior proposal record; the replacement placeholder is reserved in proposals/metpo_traitmech_v151. llm_assisted: true