The Biology of CRISPR-Cas: Backward and Forward

Publication date: 8 March 2018 Source:Cell, Volume 172, Issue 6 Author(s): Frank Hille, Hagen Richter, Shi Pey Wong, Majda Bratovič, Sarah Ressel, Emmanuelle Charpentier In bacteria and archaea, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins constitute an adaptive immune system against phages and other foreign genetic elements. Here, we review the biology of the diverse CRISPR-Cas systems and the major progress achieved in recent years in understanding the underlying mechanisms of the three stages of CRISPR-Cas immunity: adaptation, crRNA biogenesis, and interference. The ecology and regulation of CRISPR-Cas in the context of phage infection, the roles of these systems beyond immunity, and the open questions that propel the field forward are also discussed. Teaser CRISPR-Cas systems provide bacteria and archaea with diverse mechanisms of adaptive immunity, illuminating the evolutionary pressures imposed by selfish genetic elements.

Source: Cell - March 9, 2018 Category: Cytology Source Type: research