The role of protein Ser/Thr/Tyr kinases in bacteriophage infection

In the evolutionary arms race between bacteria and bacteriophages, both parties have evolved diverse defense systems and counter-defense strategies. Protein phosphorylation is a ubiquitous regulatory mechanism that enables rapid cellular responses to internal and external stimuli. Accordingly, protein phosphorylation-based responses have been established in both the bacterial host and the infecting phages. This review provides an overview of protein Ser/Thr/Tyr kinases involved in bacterial defense and phage counter-defenses, with a particular focus on insights gained from mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomic analyses of phage infections. • The characteristics of Ser/Thr/Tyr kinases that involved in phage infection. • The role of Ser/Thr/Tyr kinases in bacterial defense and phage counter-defenses. • The phosphorylation dynamics during phage infection revealed by phosphoproteomics. • Current challenges and questions to study the role of kinases in phage infection.