RNA-guided Genetic Silencing Systems in Bacteria and Archaea

Overview

Journal Nature

Specialty Science

Date 2012 Feb 17

PMID 22337052

Citations 821

Authors

Blake Wiedenheft

Samuel H Sternberg

Jennifer A Doudna

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) are essential components of nucleic-acid-based adaptive immune systems that are widespread in bacteria and archaea. Similar to RNA interference (RNAi) pathways in eukaryotes, CRISPR-mediated immune systems rely on small RNAs for sequence-specific detection and silencing of foreign nucleic acids, including viruses and plasmids. However, the mechanism of RNA-based bacterial immunity is distinct from RNAi. Understanding how small RNAs are used to find and destroy foreign nucleic acids will provide new insights into the diverse mechanisms of RNA-controlled genetic silencing systems.

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