Analysis of CRISPR/Cas Genetic Structure, Spacer Content and Molecular Epidemiology in Brazilian Acinetobacter baumannii Clinical Isolates.

ABSTRACT: CRISPR/Cas is a molecular mechanism to prevent predatory viruses from invading bacteria via the insertion of small viral sequences (spacers) in its repetitive locus. The nature of spacer incorporation and the viral origins of spacers provide an overview of the genetic evolution of bacteria, their natural viral predators, and the mechanisms that prokaryotes may use to protect themselves, or to acquire mobile genetic elements such as plasmids. Here, we report on the CRISPR/Cas genetic structure, its spacer content, and strain epidemiology through MLST and CRISPR typing in Acinetobacter baumannii, an opportunistic pathogen intimately related to hospital infections and antimicrobial resistance. Results show distinct genetic characteristics, such as polymorphisms specific to ancestor dir

SUBMITTER: Silva AMA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10302819 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature