Prokaryotes protect their genomes from foreign DNA with a diversity of defense mechanisms, including a widespread restriction-modification (R-M) system involving phosphorothioate (PT) modification of the DNA backbone. Unlike classical R-M systems, highly partial PT-modification of consensus motifs in bacterial genomes suggests an unusual mechanism of PT-dependent restriction. In Salmonella enterica, PT modification is mediated by four genes dptB-E, while restriction involves additional three genes dptF-H. Here, we performed a series of studies to characterize the PT-dependent restriction, and found that it presented several features distinct with traditional R-M systems. The presence of restriction genes in a PT-deficient mutant was not lethal, but instead resulted in several pathological phenotypes. Subsequent transcriptional profiling revealed the expression of >600 genes was affected by restriction enzymes in cells lacking PT, including induction of bacteriophage, SOS response and DNA repair-related genes. These transcriptional responses are consistent with the observation that restriction enzymes caused extensive DNA cleavage in the absence of PT modifications in vivo. However, over-expression of restriction genes was lethal to the host in spite of the presence PT modifications. These results point to an unusual mechanism of PT-dependent DNA cleavage by restriction enzymes in the face of partial PT modification.