CRISPR-mediated adaptive immune systems in bacteria and archaea.

Abstract

Effective clearance of an infection requires that the immune system rapidly detects and neutralizes invading parasites while strictly avoiding self-antigens that would result in autoimmunity. The cellular machinery and complex signaling pathways that coordinate an effective immune response have generally been considered properties of the eukaryotic immune system. However, a surprisingly sophisticated adaptive immune system that relies on small RNAs for sequence-specific targeting of foreign nucleic acids was recently discovered in bacteria and archaea. Molecular vaccination in prokaryotes is achieved by integrating short fragments of foreign nucleic acids into a repetitive locus in the host chromosome known as a CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat). Here we review the mechanisms of CRISPR-mediated immunity and discuss the ecological and evolutionary implications of these adaptive defense systems.

• Authors: Rotem Sorek, C Martin Lawrence, Blake Wiedenheft
• Journal: Annual review of biochemistry (Annu Rev Biochem) Vol. 82 Pg. 237-66 ( 2013) ISSN: 1545-4509 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 23495939 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S., Review)

Chemical References

• RNA, Archaeal
• RNA, Bacterial

Topics

• Adaptive Immunity (genetics)
• Archaea (genetics, immunology)
• Bacteria (genetics, immunology)
• Inverted Repeat Sequences (genetics, immunology)
• RNA, Archaeal (genetics, immunology)
• RNA, Bacterial (genetics, immunology)
• Signal Transduction (genetics, immunology)