Hot and crispy : CRISPR-Cas systems in the hyperthermophile Sulfolobus solfataricus
Abstract
The CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) and Cas (CRISPR-associated) genes are widely spread in bacteria and archaea, representing an intracellular defence system against invading viruses and plasmids. In the system, fragments from foreign DNA are captured and integrated into the host genome at the CRISPR locus. The locus is transcribed and the resulting RNAs are processed by Cas6 into small crRNAs (CRISPR RNAs) that guide a variety of effector complexes to degrade the invading genetic elements. Many bacteria and archaea have one major type of effector complex. However, Sulfolobus solfataricus strain P2 has six CRISPR loci with two families of repeats, four cas6 genes and three different types of effector complex. These features make S. solfataricus an important model for studying CRISPR-Cas systems. In the present article, we review our current understanding of crRNA biogenesis and its effector complexes, subtype I-A and subtype III-B, in S. solfataricus. We also discuss the differences in terms of mechanisms between the subtype III-B systems in S. solfataricus and Pyrococcus furiosus.
Citation
Zhang , J & White , M F 2013 , ' Hot and crispy : CRISPR-Cas systems in the hyperthermophile Sulfolobus solfataricus ' , Biochemical Society Transactions , vol. 41 , no. 6 , pp. 1422-1426 . https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20130031
Publication
Biochemical Society Transactions
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
0300-5127Type
Journal article
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