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Archaeal biology

CRISPR-influenced symbiosis

Nature Microbiology volume 8, pages 1611–1612 (2023)Cite this article

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CRISPR systems canonically confer microorganisms with protection against invading viral DNA, plasmids and mobile genetic elements, however a multi-omics investigation of deep subsurface archaeal communities suggests that archaeal CRISPR systems might target other archaeal parasites or force a transition from parasitism to mutualism.

CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) systems were first shown to mediate adaptive prokaryotic immunity against potentially deleterious mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as viruses and plasmids. However, the list of varied functional roles for CRISPR systems beyond MGE defence keeps expanding and has substantial implications in microbial ecosystem dynamics and evolution1. Diverse systems function by heritably incorporating short DNA sequences called spacers into host genomic CRISPR loci. The CRISPR array is transcribed and processed into mature CRISPR RNAs that guide CRISPR–Cas ribonucleoprotein effector complexes to recognize and degrade invading nucleic acids in a sequence-specific manner2.

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Fig. 1: Potential mechanisms of CRISPR-influenced symbioses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Life in Extreme Environments, Biology Department, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA

    Anna-Louise Reysenbach

  2. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

    Michael P. Terns

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  1. Anna-Louise Reysenbach
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  2. Michael P. Terns
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Correspondence to Anna-Louise Reysenbach or Michael P. Terns.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Reysenbach, AL., Terns, M.P. CRISPR-influenced symbiosis. Nat Microbiol 8, 1611–1612 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01445-4

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