Yu Han

Dr. Yu Han


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

1Year (2026-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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28 July 2026 in Microorganisms
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
RDRan Duan
Ran Duan
YHYu Han
Yu Han
YSYali Su
Yali Su
WLWei Li
Wei Li
KWKunkun Wang
Kunkun Wang
WLWeili Liang
Weili Liang
Plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, remains a significant public health concern, yet the determinants of many toxin-associated proteins encoded by this pathogen remain poorly understood. Here, we characterized two previously unexplored Rearrangement hotspot (Rhs) proteins, YPO3609 and YPO3615, using a combination of bioinformatic analyses, bacterial toxicity assays, DNA degradation assays, SOS reporter assays, and RT-qPCR analysis. The C-terminal domains of YPO3609 and YPO3615 confer nuclease toxicity, with YPO3609 containing a WHH motif of the HNH nuclease superfamily and YPO3615 harboring a restriction endonuclease-like aspartate dyad. Heterologous expression of these C-terminal toxin domains in Escherichia coli inhibited growth, caused DNA degradation, elicited SOS-related responses, and induced cellular filamentation. Co-expression experiments identified YPO3610 and YPO3616 as the cognate immunity proteins of YPO3609 and YPO3615, respectively, while site-directed mutagenesis further showed that H411 and D1442/D1447 contribute to the nuclease-associated activities of the two toxins. Homologs of both toxin domains were broadly distributed in Pseudomonadota, with the C-terminal domain of YPO3609 showing a wider distribution. These findings characterize two functional Rhs toxin–immunity modules encoded by Y. pestis, and provide new insights into Rhs-associated nuclease toxins and their related homologs.