Heterologous expression of the M. abscessus CBASS system confers phage TM4 resistance in M. smegmatis.

Phage therapy for multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium abscessus is constrained by the narrow lytic spectrum of phages due to unknown antiphage mechanisms. Bacteria deploy various defense strategies to prevent phage infection, but few have been comprehensively characterized in mycobacteria. Mycobacteriophage TM4 successfully delivers DNA into M.