CRISPR-Mediated Adaptive Immune Systems in Bacteria and Archaea

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…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: MCB-0920312, 0628732
• LM
  Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust
• DF
  Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
• IS
  Israel Science Foundation

  Award: 1303/12
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Award: GM 103500
• NC
  National Center for Research Resources