AbiP2 system was discovered in 2006 inside a variable region of the P2-like coliphages :ref{doi=10.1128/JB.188.4.1643-1647.2006}. This paper shows a relation with the known "Abi" system [AbiK](/defense-systems/abik).
It was then proven to have an antiphage activity against T5 in E. coli :ref{doi=10.1126/science.aba0372}.
AbiP2 is one of the so-called "Abi" systems for "Abortive infection" discovered in the 90's in research related to the dairy industry :ref{doi=10.1016/j.mib.2005.06.006}. AbiP2 is classified as possible abortive infection in :ref{doi=10.1016/j.mib.2023.102312}.
This system is called AbiP2 for the P2-like phage and has no relation with AbiP (a homolog of [AbiC](/defense-systems/abic)](/defense-systems/abic)).
However, with the discovery of dozens of new systems, it was categorized as one of the UG/Abi defense systems :ref{doi=10.1093/nar/gkac467} along with [DRT](/defense-systems/drt) different subsystems, [AbiA](/defense-systems/abia), [AbiK](/defense-systems/abik) and [Rst_RT_Nitralase_TM](/defense-systems/rst_rt-nitrilase-tm).
Those systems are characterized by the presence of a reverse transcriptase domain of the "Unknown Group RT".
## Molecular mechanism
To our knowledge, the molecular mechanism is unknown. Similarly, for the other systems of this family, the molecular mechanism remains unknown.