Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Genetics Otago, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Cell Rep. 2023 Jul 25;42(7):112672. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112672. Epub 2023 Jun 21.
Prokaryotic adaptation is strongly influenced by the horizontal acquisition of beneficial traits via mobile genetic elements (MGEs), such as viruses/bacteriophages and plasmids. However, MGEs can also impose a fitness cost due to their often parasitic nature and differing evolutionary trajectories. In response, prokaryotes have evolved diverse immune mechanisms against MGEs. Recently, our understanding of the abundance and diversity of prokaryotic immune systems has greatly expanded. These defense systems can degrade the invading genetic material, inhibit genome replication, or trigger abortive infection, leading to population protection. In this review, we highlight these strategies, focusing on the most recent discoveries. The study of prokaryotic defenses not only sheds light on microbial evolution but also uncovers novel enzymatic activities with promising biotechnological applications.
原核生物的适应性受到通过移动遗传元件（MGEs）如病毒/噬菌体和质粒进行有益性状的水平获得的强烈影响。然而，由于 MGEs 的寄生性质和不同的进化轨迹，它们也会带来适应性成本。作为回应，原核生物已经进化出多种针对 MGEs 的免疫机制。最近，我们对原核生物免疫系统的丰度和多样性的理解有了极大的扩展。这些防御系统可以降解入侵的遗传物质、抑制基因组复制，或触发无效感染，从而保护种群。在这篇综述中，我们重点介绍了这些策略，以及最近的发现。对原核生物防御的研究不仅揭示了微生物进化，还揭示了具有广阔生物技术应用前景的新的酶活性。
