TY - JOUR
T1 - CRISPR-Cas
T2 - Adapting to change
AU - Jackson, Simon A.
AU - McKenzie, Rebecca E.
AU - Fagerlund, Robert D.
AU - Kieper, Sebastian N.
AU - Fineran, Peter C.
AU - Brouns, Stan J.J.
PY - 2017/4/7
Y1 - 2017/4/7
N2 - Bacteria and archaea are engaged in a constant arms race to defend against the ever-present threats of viruses and invasion by mobile genetic elements. The most flexible weapons in the prokaryotic defense arsenal are the CRISPR-Cas adaptive immune systems. These systems are capable of selective identification and neutralization of foreign DNA and/or RNA. CRISPR-Cas systems rely on stored genetic memories to facilitate target recognition. Thus, to keep pace with a changing pool of hostile invaders, the CRISPR memory banks must be regularly updated with new information through a process termed CRISPR adaptation. In this Review, we outline the recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing CRISPR adaptation. Specifically, the conserved protein machinery Cas1-Cas2 is the cornerstone of adaptive immunity in a range of diverse CRISPR-Cas systems.
AB - Bacteria and archaea are engaged in a constant arms race to defend against the ever-present threats of viruses and invasion by mobile genetic elements. The most flexible weapons in the prokaryotic defense arsenal are the CRISPR-Cas adaptive immune systems. These systems are capable of selective identification and neutralization of foreign DNA and/or RNA. CRISPR-Cas systems rely on stored genetic memories to facilitate target recognition. Thus, to keep pace with a changing pool of hostile invaders, the CRISPR memory banks must be regularly updated with new information through a process termed CRISPR adaptation. In this Review, we outline the recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing CRISPR adaptation. Specifically, the conserved protein machinery Cas1-Cas2 is the cornerstone of adaptive immunity in a range of diverse CRISPR-Cas systems.
UR - http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:0baaa190-8e07-4c91-9114-1bd0cc430238
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85017393597&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1126/science.aal5056
DO - 10.1126/science.aal5056
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85017393597
SN - 0036-8075
VL - 356
SP - 1
EP - 9
JO - Science
JF - Science
IS - 6333
M1 - eaal5056
ER -