Diversity-Generating Retroelements in Prokaryotic Immunity.

ABSTRACT: Adaptive immunity systems found in different organisms fall into two major types. Prokaryotes possess CRISPR-Cas systems that recognize former invaders using memorized (captured) pieces of their DNA as pathogen signatures. Mammals possess a vast repertoire of antibodies and T-cell receptor variants generated in advance. In this second type of adaptive immunity, a pathogen presentation to the immune system specifically activates the cells that express matching antibodies or receptors. These cells proliferate to fight the infection and form the immune memory. The principle of preemptive production of diverse defense proteins for future use can hypothetically take place in microbes too. We propose a hypothesis that prokaryotes employ diversity-generating retroelements to prepare defense prote

SUBMITTER: Belalov IS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10053308 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature