identifier: traitmech:000218 label: Wadjet system definition: A genomics trait describing possession of a Wadjet anti-plasmid defense locus encoding a derivative SMC complex such as JetABCD, MksBEFG, or EptABCD that restricts circular plasmids by ATPase-dependent DNA cleavage. definition_source: DOI:10.1016/j.molcel.2022.11.015 trait_category: GENOMICS term_kind: CLASS mapping_status: PROPOSED parent_traits: - METPO:1000188 synonyms: - synonym_text: Wadjet defense system synonym_type: EXACT_SYNONYM source: DOI:10.1016/j.molcel.2022.09.008 evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1016/j.molcel.2022.11.015 snippet: Wadjet systems (JetABCD/MksBEFG/EptABCD) are derivative SMC complexes with roles in bacterial immunity against selfish DNA notes: Liu et al. support defining Wadjet as a recurring SMC-derived bacterial immune system spanning JetABCD, MksBEFG, and EptABCD subfamilies. - reference: DOI:10.1016/j.molcel.2022.09.008 snippet: the Wadjet defense system recognizes DNA topology to protect its host against plasmid transformation notes: Deep et al. support the standard Wadjet defense system name and connect the system to anti-plasmid immunity. - reference: DOI:10.1016/j.molcel.2022.09.008 snippet: Wadjet forms a complex similar to the bacterial condensin complex MukBEF, with a novel nuclease subunit similar to a type II DNA topoisomerase notes: Deep et al. support the SMC-family complex architecture and JetD-like nuclease component. - reference: DOI:10.1016/j.molcel.2022.11.015 snippet: Purified JetABCD complexes cleave circular DNA molecules, regardless of the DNA helical topology; cleavage is DNA sequence nonspecific and depends on the SMC ATPase notes: Liu et al. connect JetABCD SMC ATPase activity to sequence-independent cleavage of circular plasmid DNA. - reference: DOI:10.1093/nar/gkad130 snippet: MksG is a nuclease that degrades plasmid DNA notes: Weiss et al. support the MksG nuclease as the executing plasmid-DNA-degradation component of MksBEFG. - reference: DOI:10.1093/nar/gkad130 snippet: Introduction of plasmids results in an increase in DNA bound MksG, indicating an activation of the system in vivo notes: Weiss et al. support plasmid-responsive activation of the Corynebacterium glutamicum MksBEFG system in vivo. canonical_examples: - taxon_id: NCBITaxon:1718 taxon_label: Corynebacterium glutamicum note: Weiss et al. investigated the Corynebacterium glutamicum MksBEFG complex and showed that plasmid introduction increased DNA-bound MksG in vivo. reference: DOI:10.1093/nar/gkad130 causal_graphs: - graph_id: wadjet_smc_plasmid_restriction title: Wadjet SMC complexes cleave circular plasmid DNA description: Evidence-backed process sketch linking a Wadjet locus to SMC ATPase cycling, Wadjet nuclease-mediated circular plasmid cleavage, and restriction of plasmid transformation. scope_status: NONMECHANISTIC scope_notes: The graph captures JetABCD and MksBEFG family-level anti-plasmid outputs without asserting one universal subfamily architecture, plasmid size threshold, linear plasmid escape rule, polar scaffold, DNA-loop-extrusion state, or activation cue across all Wadjet loci. nodes: - node_id: wadjet_locus label: Wadjet locus node_type: GENETIC_ELEMENT description: A Wadjet anti-plasmid defense locus encoding JetABCD, MksBEFG, EptABCD, or related SMC-family components. - node_id: wadjet_smc_atpase_cycle label: Wadjet SMC ATPase cycle node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: ATPase cycling by the Wadjet SMC core complex during circular DNA restriction. - node_id: wadjet_plasmid_dna_cleavage label: Wadjet plasmid DNA cleavage node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: Cleavage or processive degradation of circular plasmid DNA by a Wadjet-associated nuclease. - node_id: plasmid_transformation label: plasmid transformation node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: Introduction and establishment of exogenous plasmid DNA in a bacterial cell. - node_id: wadjet_system_trait label: Wadjet system node_type: TRAIT grounding: traitmech:000218 description: Possession of a genome-encoded Wadjet anti-plasmid defense locus. edges: - subject: wadjet_locus predicate: contributes to predicate_id: RO:0002326 object: wadjet_smc_atpase_cycle description: Wadjet loci encode derivative SMC complexes with Jet, Mks, or Ept ATPase cores. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1016/j.molcel.2022.11.015 snippet: Wadjet systems (JetABCD/MksBEFG/EptABCD) are derivative SMC complexes with roles in bacterial immunity against selfish DNA notes: Liu et al. support JetABCD, MksBEFG, and EptABCD as Wadjet-family SMC complexes. - subject: wadjet_smc_atpase_cycle predicate: enables predicate_id: RO:0002327 object: wadjet_plasmid_dna_cleavage description: The Wadjet SMC ATPase cycle enables nuclease-driven cleavage of circular plasmid DNA. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1016/j.molcel.2022.11.015 snippet: Purified JetABCD complexes cleave circular DNA molecules, regardless of the DNA helical topology; cleavage is DNA sequence nonspecific and depends on the SMC ATPase notes: Liu et al. support SMC-ATPase-dependent cleavage by purified JetABCD. - reference: DOI:10.1093/nar/gkad130 snippet: The MksBEF subunits exhibit an ATPase cycle in vitro notes: Weiss et al. support ATPase cycling by the C. glutamicum MksBEF core. - subject: wadjet_plasmid_dna_cleavage predicate: mitigates predicate_id: METPO:2007407 object: plasmid_transformation description: Wadjet-mediated plasmid DNA cleavage restricts incoming circular plasmids. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1016/j.molcel.2022.09.008 snippet: the Wadjet defense system recognizes DNA topology to protect its host against plasmid transformation notes: Deep et al. support Wadjet-mediated protection against plasmid transformation. - subject: wadjet_plasmid_dna_cleavage predicate: confers predicate_id: METPO:2007700 object: wadjet_system_trait description: Wadjet nuclease-mediated plasmid DNA cleavage is the anti-plasmid output that realizes the Wadjet system trait. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1093/nar/gkad130 snippet: MksG is a nuclease that degrades plasmid DNA notes: Weiss et al. support MksG nuclease activity as a Wadjet/MksBEFG plasmid-degradation output. discussions: - discussion_id: wadjet-subfamily-and-substrate-gap prompt: Resolve JetABCD, EptABCD, DefenseFinder Wadjet subtype boundaries, plasmid substrate specificity, and activation cues before minting additional narrower Wadjet mechanism children. kind: KNOWLEDGE_GAP status: OPEN rationale: Deep et al. and Liu et al. support JetABCD-mediated topology- or shape-biased circular plasmid cleavage and the broad JetABCD/MksBEFG/EptABCD Wadjet family, while the MksBEFG child now captures the Weiss et al. plasmid-degradation branch. The parent still leaves JetABCD, EptABCD, DefenseFinder Wadjet I-III boundaries, exact target size threshold, linear-plasmid escape rule, loop-extrusion endpoint, polar localization pattern, and nuclease activation models for additional Wadjet variants unresolved. posed_by: codex posed_date: '2026-09-15' curation_history: - timestamp: '2026-09-15T14:19:20Z' curator: codex action: MINTED_TRAITMECH_ID changes: Minted Wadjet system as a DOI-backed GENOMICS TraitRecord 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_v95. llm_assisted: true - timestamp: '2026-10-01T21:15:01Z' curator: codex action: RESOLVE_DISCUSSION_SCOPE changes: Documented MksBEFG as split out in the open Wadjet subfamily and substrate discussion after minting traitmech:000526 for the MksBEFG system; JetABCD, EptABCD, and DefenseFinder Wadjet subtype boundaries remain open. llm_assisted: true