CRISPR-mediated phage resistance and the ghost of coevolution past

Pedro Vale; Tom J. Little

doi:10.1098/rspb.2010.0055

CRISPR-mediated phage resistance and the ghost of coevolution past

Pedro Vale, Tom J. Little

School of Biological Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Literature review › peer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Bacteria can acquire heritable immunity to viral (phage) enemies by incorporating phage DNA into their own genome. This mechanism of anti-viral defence, known by the acronym CRISPR, simultaneously stores detailed information about current and past enemies and the evolved resistance to them. As a high-resolution genetic marker that is intimately tied with the host-pathogen interaction, the CRISPR system offers a unique, and relatively untapped, opportunity to study epidemiological and coevolutionary dynamics in microbial communities that were previously neglected because they could not be cultured in the laboratory. We briefly review the molecular mechanisms of CRISPR-mediated host-pathogen resistance, before assessing their potential importance for coevolution in nature, and their utility as a means of studying coevolutionary dynamics through metagenomics and laboratory experimentation.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2097-2103
Number of pages	7
Journal	Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences
Volume	277
Issue number	1691
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2010.0055
Publication status	Published - 22 Jul 2010

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

bacteria
phage
coevolution
evolution
epidemiology
resistance
PROVIDES ACQUIRED-RESISTANCE
STANDING GENETIC-VARIATION
HOST-PARASITE INTERACTIONS
SHORT PALINDROMIC REPEATS
LOCAL ADAPTATION
CLONAL INTERFERENCE
NATURAL-SELECTION
ESCHERICHIA-COLI
VIRUS-RESISTANCE
IMMUNE-SYSTEM

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10.1098/rspb.2010.0055

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title = "CRISPR-mediated phage resistance and the ghost of coevolution past",

abstract = "Bacteria can acquire heritable immunity to viral (phage) enemies by incorporating phage DNA into their own genome. This mechanism of anti-viral defence, known by the acronym CRISPR, simultaneously stores detailed information about current and past enemies and the evolved resistance to them. As a high-resolution genetic marker that is intimately tied with the host-pathogen interaction, the CRISPR system offers a unique, and relatively untapped, opportunity to study epidemiological and coevolutionary dynamics in microbial communities that were previously neglected because they could not be cultured in the laboratory. We briefly review the molecular mechanisms of CRISPR-mediated host-pathogen resistance, before assessing their potential importance for coevolution in nature, and their utility as a means of studying coevolutionary dynamics through metagenomics and laboratory experimentation.",

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author = "Pedro Vale and Little, {Tom J.}",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - CRISPR-mediated phage resistance and the ghost of coevolution past

AU - Vale, Pedro

AU - Little, Tom J.

PY - 2010/7/22

Y1 - 2010/7/22

N2 - Bacteria can acquire heritable immunity to viral (phage) enemies by incorporating phage DNA into their own genome. This mechanism of anti-viral defence, known by the acronym CRISPR, simultaneously stores detailed information about current and past enemies and the evolved resistance to them. As a high-resolution genetic marker that is intimately tied with the host-pathogen interaction, the CRISPR system offers a unique, and relatively untapped, opportunity to study epidemiological and coevolutionary dynamics in microbial communities that were previously neglected because they could not be cultured in the laboratory. We briefly review the molecular mechanisms of CRISPR-mediated host-pathogen resistance, before assessing their potential importance for coevolution in nature, and their utility as a means of studying coevolutionary dynamics through metagenomics and laboratory experimentation.

AB - Bacteria can acquire heritable immunity to viral (phage) enemies by incorporating phage DNA into their own genome. This mechanism of anti-viral defence, known by the acronym CRISPR, simultaneously stores detailed information about current and past enemies and the evolved resistance to them. As a high-resolution genetic marker that is intimately tied with the host-pathogen interaction, the CRISPR system offers a unique, and relatively untapped, opportunity to study epidemiological and coevolutionary dynamics in microbial communities that were previously neglected because they could not be cultured in the laboratory. We briefly review the molecular mechanisms of CRISPR-mediated host-pathogen resistance, before assessing their potential importance for coevolution in nature, and their utility as a means of studying coevolutionary dynamics through metagenomics and laboratory experimentation.

KW - bacteria

KW - phage

KW - coevolution

KW - evolution

KW - epidemiology

KW - resistance

KW - PROVIDES ACQUIRED-RESISTANCE

KW - STANDING GENETIC-VARIATION

KW - HOST-PARASITE INTERACTIONS

KW - SHORT PALINDROMIC REPEATS

KW - LOCAL ADAPTATION

KW - CLONAL INTERFERENCE

KW - NATURAL-SELECTION

KW - ESCHERICHIA-COLI

KW - VIRUS-RESISTANCE

KW - IMMUNE-SYSTEM

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77955342938&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1098/rspb.2010.0055

DO - 10.1098/rspb.2010.0055

M3 - Literature review

C2 - 20236977

SN - 0962-8452

VL - 277

SP - 2097

EP - 2103

JO - Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences

JF - Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences

IS - 1691

ER -

CRISPR-mediated phage resistance and the ghost of coevolution past

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Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

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