TY - JOUR
T1 - Deciphering and shaping bacterial diversity through CRISPR
AU - Briner, Alexandra E.
AU - Barrangou, Rodolphe
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors are supported by start-up funds from North Carolina State University, from the NC State University Faculty Scholars program and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. AB is supported by a NC State Functional Genomics fellowship. The authors would like to acknowledge colleagues and collaborators in the CRISPR field for their contributions, including CRISPR heroes, sidekicks and obscure contributors for colorful conversations and insights into these fascinating systems.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016.
PY - 2016/6/1
Y1 - 2016/6/1
N2 - Phage and bacteria have engaged in a sustainable arms race, a seemingly endless conflict, since the beginning of time. CRISPR-Cas systems shape and generate environmental diversity through evolution of both predator and prey genomes. Indeed, the gain or loss of CRISPR-mediated immunity and genome maintenance can spark speciation in bacteria. Alternatively, turning CRISPR-Cas on the host by targeting chromosomal DNA has led to the development of next-generation smart antimicrobials and genetic screening and engineering technologies. Although the ability to target and cleave DNA in a sequence-specific manner is a powerful mechanism utilized by bacteria to fend off phage, plasmids, and potentially harmful nucleic acids, it is also a promising technology for programmable targeting of undesirable bacteria in microbiome consortia.
AB - Phage and bacteria have engaged in a sustainable arms race, a seemingly endless conflict, since the beginning of time. CRISPR-Cas systems shape and generate environmental diversity through evolution of both predator and prey genomes. Indeed, the gain or loss of CRISPR-mediated immunity and genome maintenance can spark speciation in bacteria. Alternatively, turning CRISPR-Cas on the host by targeting chromosomal DNA has led to the development of next-generation smart antimicrobials and genetic screening and engineering technologies. Although the ability to target and cleave DNA in a sequence-specific manner is a powerful mechanism utilized by bacteria to fend off phage, plasmids, and potentially harmful nucleic acids, it is also a promising technology for programmable targeting of undesirable bacteria in microbiome consortia.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.mib.2016.03.006
DO - 10.1016/j.mib.2016.03.006
M3 - Review article
C2 - 27045713
AN - SCOPUS:84961956845
VL - 31
SP - 101
EP - 108
JO - Current Opinion in Microbiology
JF - Current Opinion in Microbiology
SN - 1369-5274
ER -