Evolutionary Ecology and Interplay of Prokaryotic Innate and Adaptive Immune Systems.

ABSTRACT: Like many organisms, bacteria and archaea have both innate and adaptive immune systems to defend against infection by viruses and other parasites. Innate immunity most commonly relies on the endonuclease-mediated cleavage of any incoming DNA that lacks a specific epigenetic modification, through a system known as restriction-modification. CRISPR-Cas-mediated adaptive immunity relies on the insertion of short DNA sequences from parasite genomes into CRISPR arrays on the host genome to provide sequence-specific protection. The discovery of each of these systems has revolutionised our ability to carry out genetic manipulations, and, as a consequence, the enzymes involved have been characterised in exquisite detail. In comparison, much less is known about the importance of these two arms of th

SUBMITTER: Dimitriu T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7116224 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature