Dpto. Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
Int Microbiol. 2021 Nov;24(4):473-498. doi: 10.1007/s10123-021-00208-7. Epub 2021 Sep 6.
A long time has passed since regularly interspaced DNA repeats were discovered in prokaryotes. Today, those enigmatic repetitive elements termed clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) are acknowledged as an emblematic part of multicomponent CRISPR-Cas (CRISPR associated) systems. These systems are involved in a variety of roles in bacteria and archaea, notably, that of conferring protection against transmissible genetic elements through an adaptive immune-like response. This review summarises the present knowledge on the diversity, molecular mechanisms and biology of CRISPR-Cas. We pay special attention to the most recent findings related to the determinants and consequences of CRISPR-Cas activity. Research on the basic features of these systems illustrates how instrumental the study of prokaryotes is for understanding biology in general, ultimately providing valuable tools for diverse fields and fuelling research beyond the mainstream.
很久以前，原核生物中就发现了有规律间隔的 DNA 重复序列。如今，这些神秘的重复元件被称为成簇规律间隔短回文重复序列（CRISPR），被认为是多组分 CRISPR-Cas（CRISPR 相关）系统的标志性组成部分。这些系统在细菌和古菌中发挥着多种作用，特别是通过适应性免疫样反应赋予它们抵抗可传播遗传元件的保护。本综述总结了 CRISPR-Cas 的多样性、分子机制和生物学的现有知识。我们特别关注与 CRISPR-Cas 活性的决定因素和后果相关的最新发现。对这些系统基本特征的研究说明了研究原核生物对于理解一般生物学是多么重要，最终为各个领域提供了有价值的工具，并推动了主流之外的研究。
