Figure 4.

Gene modifications or mutations that help phages evade the immune system. The activation of some bacterial immune systems relies on the recognition of specific phage motifs, while others rely on the recognition of specific phage proteins. When specific motifs are targeted by the host, mutations, modifications, and base substitutions can effectively help the phage evade immunity. On the other hand, when the expressed protein is targeted, the phage usually mutates the gene encoding it.