Aquaculture as a source of empirical evidence for coevolution between CRISPR-Cas and phage.

ABSTRACT: So far, studies on the bacterial immune system CRISPR-Cas and its ecological and evolutionary effects have been largely limited to laboratory conditions. While providing crucial information on the constituents of CRISPR-Cas, such studies may overlook fundamental components that affect bacterial immunity in natural habitats. Translating laboratory-derived predictions to nature is not a trivial task, owing partly to the instability of natural communities and difficulties in repeated sampling. To this end, we review how aquaculture, the farming of fishes and other aquatic species, may provide suitable semi-natural laboratories for examining the role of CRISPR-Cas in phage/bacterium coevolution. Existing data from disease surveillance conducted in aquaculture, coupled with growing interest tow

SUBMITTER: Hoikkala V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6452259 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature