Bacterial Survival and Evolutional Strategies via CRISPR/Cas System

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  • NAKAGAWA Ichiro
    Section of Bacterial Pathogenesis, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School of Dentistry

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Other Title
  • ゲノムから見た細菌の進化
  • ゲノムから見た細菌の進化 : CRISPRによる生存戦略
  • ゲノム カラ ミタ サイキン ノ シンカ : CRISPR ニ ヨル セイゾン センリャク
  • ―CRISPR による生存戦略―

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Abstract

Bacteria display extraordinary variation in their metabolic properties, cellular structures, lifestyle and pathogenicities. Several mechanisms could be responsible for the differences evident among bacterial species. These phonotypic changes are mainly induced by the acquisition of foreign genetic material through horizontal gene transfer known as conjugation, transduction and transformation. However, because new genetic material may also cause damage, removal of imported genetic material and protection against selfish invading genetic elements are also important. Recently, a new counterattack system against foreign genetic material, CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas (CRISPR-associated) system was discovered as a prokaryotic adaptive immune system. In addition, recent evidences indicate that the CRSIRP/Cas system not only work for the immune system but also contribute to the bacterial evolution by controlling the acquisition and exclusion of foreign genetic materials. In this review, I mainly focus on new mechanisms of the CRISPR/Cas system for bacterial evolution in Streptococcus pyogenes and Porphyromonas gingivalis.

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